France vs New Zealand LIVE: Rugby result and final score as All Blacks conclude 2021 Autumn Nations Series
Les Bleus clinched a first victory over the All Blacks since 2009 and a first win at the Stade de France since 1973
France held off a second-half fightback from New Zealand to claim a 40-25 victory in Paris and end a 14-match losing streak against the All Blacks.
New Zealand, looking for an immediate response to last weekend’s 29-20 loss to Ireland, trailed 24-6 at half-time as a rampant Les Blues took complete control at the Stade de France.
However, three tries in 12 minutes after the interval - from Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Ardie Savea - saw New Zealand close to within two points of their hosts at 27-25, as well as becoming the first team in Test match history to score 100 tries in a single season.
At that point French hopes of a first win over the three-time World Cup winners since 2009 looked to be fading fast, but an incident in the 63rd minute saw the pendulum swing back their way.
Savea was sin-binned to reduce New Zealand to 14 men and France took full advantage with Melvyn Jaminet slotting over the resulting penalty before Damian Penaud broke away for an interception try.
At 37-25 down, there was no way back for New Zealand and France, who had seen Peato Mauvaka score twice either side of Romain Ntamack’s try in a dominant first-half display, wrapped up a memorable win with Jaminet’s late penalty.
Scotland 0-0 Japan, 1 minute
Ryohei Yamanaka misjudges the first clearance from Scotland towards him but atones with a lovely shimmy beyond Darcy Graham, allowing Japan to attack near halfway. They play wide straightaway, full-back Yamanaka gathering a slightly risky pass well to keep the movement going. Good tempo from Japan.
KICK OFF!
Rikiya Matsuda has the ball in his hands, ready for the starting gun in the form of the long blast on the whistle from Brendon Pickerill, the referee at Murrayfield. Pickerill peeps, Matsuda hoists high, and the game is underway.
Scotland vs Japan - Here we go...
Two normally adventurous sides and a dry enough day in Edinburgh - this could be a lot of fun.
Scottish national anthem
A bag-piper on the roof leads Murrayfield in the singing of “Flower of Scotland” - it must be awfully airy up there. The Scottish squad are also in fine voice, supported well, as ever, by what looks a capacity Scottish crowd. Plenty of smiles from the home side - their captain Stuart Hogg has barely stopped grinning since he stepped out.
"Kimigayo"
Japan’s players stand proudly for their national anthem, most singing. Kotaro Matushima’s more slender frame is buried beneath a big training parka, but most are bare-armed.
Scotland emerge
Stuart Hogg charges out of the Murrayfield tunnel, smiling as his teammates follow along behind. Finn Russell shakes the morning crick out of his neck, a big yawn as he settles in beneath the dissipating smoke left by the now ubiquitous greeting flamethrowers.
Out of the tunnel
Out come the players, Japan first, led by Pieter “Lappies” Labuschagne. This Japan unit hasn’t quite fired yet this autumn, and were scratchier than they would have liked against a weaker Portugal side last week, but we, and Scotland, know what they can do on their day.
Player to watch – Shogo Nakano
The dextrous Timothy Lafaele has filled the Japanese thirteen jersey superbly in the last few years, but Jamie Joseph has found a viable alternative in Shogo Nakano. Long regarded as one of the brighter prospects coming through the at-times inhibitive domestic system in Japan, Nakano showed his ability with a try on debut last week, a shimmy and shrug out of a tackle after taking a short line 25 metres out and showing plenty of toe to get over.
Regarded as a similarly audacious off-loader in the thirteen channel, he’ll provide a handful for Chris Harris, much as the Scotland 13 is a fine defender. Japan are rarely afraid to be creative in attack (fly-half Rikiya Matsuda produced one particularly lovely dinky kick to help set up a try for Siosaia Fifita last week) so it will be intriguing to see what they throw at this Scotland side.
Player to watch - Sam Johnson
The international career of Sam Johnson is becoming something of a curiosity. Scotland seldom look a worse team with the inside centre playing, an effective carrier with sharp linking hands, but there is always a sense that Johnson is never quite settled within the side. He was left out last week in favour of a more abrasive midfield pairing of Matt Scott and Chris Harris – and a possible concern over a head knock suffered a week prior - but returns to combine in creative partnership with Finn Russell.
When Cameron Redpath is back fit you would suspect he will re-take the 12 jumper, but Johnson has plenty of good qualities. Harris has talked up his centre partner’s role in making him feel comfortable in a crucial defensive combination in Scotland’s much-improved defence under Steve Tandy.
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