The All Blacks completed a 3-0 series sweep over France with a hard-fought 29-19 win in Hamilton, despite a rocky start that saw Luke Jacobson ruled out pre-game and a scrappy first-half performance.
Down 19-17 at halftime, New Zealand overcame poor execution and missed opportunities—being held up over the line four times—thanks to clutch plays from Will Jordan, Anton Lienert-Brown, and Du’Plessis Kirifi.
Scott Robertson’s decision to rotate the entire matchday squad nearly backfired, but the makeshift lineup showed resilience, eventually wearing down a committed French side late in the game to secure a valuable, if unpolished, series-clinching win.
