All Blacks conquest a big confidence booster for France

France suffered heartbreak at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where they were knocked out by South Africa by a single point in the quarter-finals, but their 30-29 victory against the All Blacks on Nov 16 has laid the foundations for a potentially bright future.

Les Bleus trailed 14-3 against New Zealand at the Stade de France before fighting back after the break to prevail with three tries and a perfect kicking performance from Thomas Ramos, who started again at fly-half alongside Antoine Dupont in the absence of the injured Romain Ntamack.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Romain Buros and Paul Boudehent scored tries for France, while Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard crossed the line for the All Blacks.

"It was a special Test for us. Winning by a single point reminds us of last year. One point is nothing but it can also mean a lot," France coach Fabien Galthie said, referring to the 29-28 defeat against the Springboks which ended France's hopes of winning the World Cup on home soil.

"The scenario was awful at the beginning. But at half-time we found the solution, being better on the impact points. I'm very proud because we've now hosted them three times and we've beaten them three times (in a row).