Match News and Current Form
The All Blacks shot out of the blocks last time out and effectively won the game by half-time with a 29-3 lead, proving their killer instincts that were missing in the first test were not lost on them. That was their eighth victory in their last nine matches now, with the lone loss in that time being against a full strength France team in November last year, which has proved as motivation here with New Zealand now chasing a fifth three-match series whitewash against the French.
Coach Scott Robertson and his selectors have chosen a matchday 23, captained once again by Ardie Sarvea, that includes seven names featuring for the first time this year, with the likes of prop Tyrel Lomax, loose forward Luke Jacobson and backs Anton Lienert-Brown and Sevu Reece all return from injury. Fullback Ruben Love earns just his second cap, and there’s a potential debut for replacement hooker Brodie McAlister should he come on.
France, despite their unfamiliar team sheets, will be licking their wounds after last week's handsome defeat, as it was the second time since February 2019 that they’ve lost by more than 20 points. Les Bleus will have to come up with something special here if they’re to avoid another record spanning back to 2019, as it was also the last time they lost three test matches in succession.
Fabien Galthié has turned to his more experienced players for this test, as 95-cap veteran Gaël Fickou returns to captain the side with prop Rabah Slimani who also returns for his 58th appearance. Elsewhere in the starting VX, experience is hard to come by with wing Gabin Villière and his 19 caps being the third-most in the lineup, while four players in the forward pack are making just their second appearance.
Head-to-Head History
Last weekend’s match in Wellington marked New Zealand’s 50th win over France in what was their 66th meeting (D1, L15).
Hot Stats and Streaks
• A penalty has been the first scoring play in each of New Zealand’s last six matches.
• The All Blacks have scored 30+ points in each of their last six home matches.
• France scored the first points in ten of their last 12 fixtures.
• Last week's game was the first time in eight away matches that France failed to score 25+ points.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane will be wanting to end off this series with a bang, after he crossed the whitewash last time out for the sixth time against France in his five matches against them on home soil. His opposite number Gabin Villière will also be looking to do damage, after he cored a try in the first test which means four of his six try scoring appearances for France have come against Southern Hemisphere teams.
Try scorer from last week Tupou Vaa’i and goal kicker Beauden Barrett have been ruled out for this test, joining the likes of Tamaiti Williams, Wallace Sititi, Scott Barrett, and Caleb Clarke in the physios’ rooms.
Betting Analysis
Despite New Zealand winning both tests, they’ve failed to dominate from start to finish in either, highlighted by the fact they have not won both halves in either game and with this being a dead-rubber, betting on New Zealand not to win both halves again could be a smart play.