International: Five-try New Zealand gain sweet revenge with Marseille massacre

France 12 (12)
New Zealand 39 (22)

New Zealand ran in five tries as they humbled France 39-12 in Marseille to gain sweet revenge for their loss in Dunedin during the summer.

The All Blacks were simply too big, fast and strong as they overpowered their hosts throughout on a night when Marc Lièvremont's squad failed to replicate their efforts of two weeks ago when they beat South Africa.

France began brightly enough with their pumped up front row earning a penalty at the first scrum which Julien Dupuy duly kicked, but New Zealand’s response was immediate and clinical as Ma’a Nonu powered through a porous defence to set up winger Sitiveni Sivivatu for the game’s opening try after just six minutes.

Fly-half Dan Carter added the extras but the hosts stayed true to their running ethos and almost found the perfect reply as Yannick Jauzion broke through before being stopped five metres short. Further pressure handed Dupuy a second penalty attempt which he landed on 14 minutes, and France regained the lead when another dominant scrum resulted in the scrum-half’s third successful kick on 17 minutes.

But once more a French score merely spurred the Kiwis to up the ante with Jimmy Cowan coming within inches of a charge down try before Mils Muliaina was teed up by Sivivatu down the left wing for their second score.

Carter missed the ensuing conversion but was on target with a later penalty as New Zealand forged 15-9 ahead, and only desperate defence by Damien Traille prevented further trouble as Nonu threatened more damage.

The All Blacks – or half blacks as they were in Marseille – looked capable of scoring with every attack and it was no surprise when flanker Jerome Kaino grabbed try number three on the half hour after another massive shove on a 10m scrum.

Carter’s conversion made it 22-9, with France managing a drop-goal from Francois Trinh-Duc in response before the referee blew for half time.

It was a similar story after the break with the French full of intent but looking sluggish in attack when compared to the rapier thrusts being orchestrated by the increasingly influential Carter.

A further period of sustained Kiwi pressure brought another penalty for Carter before Cory Jane’s delightful chip and chase completely wrong-footed the home defence and allowed him a simple run in for try number four.  After that it was merely a case of how many more the All Blacks wanted to add, but with this being the last Test of a gruelling season Richie McCaw’s team were in no mood to ease up.

Memories of June’s 27-22 home defeat in Dunedin also spurred them on, ensuring there would be no let up for France’s overstretched defence. Coach Marc Lièvremont rang the changes in an effort to inject fresh impetus but ‘Les Bleus’ just couldn’t put any sustained phases together and ended up fire-fighting an endless wave of marauding New Zealand attacks.

Ten minutes from time Conrad Smith slipped in for the All Blacks’ fifth try when he snuck in unopposed down the blindside from the back of a New Zealand ruck 10m out, and Carter’s impeccable touchline conversion made it a harrowing 12-39 against the home side.

Captain Thierry Dusautoir stuck manfully to the task in hand but it was virtual one-way traffic for the last half hour with the almost inevitable result that tempers began to fray as the end approached. Strangely it was the All Blacks who finished a man down, though, following Owen Franks’ 76^th-minute yellow, but it mattered not a jot to the end result as Graham Henry’s team ended their unbeaten tour in triumphant style.

Scores: 3-0 (2, Dupuy pen); 3-5 (6, Sivivatu try); 3-7 (7, Carter conv); 6-7 (14, Dupuy pen); 9-7 (17, Dupuy pen); 9-12 (22, Muliaina try); 9-15 (28, Carter pen); 9-20 (30, Kaino try); 9-22 (31, Carter conv); 12-22 (34, Trinh-Duc drop); 12-25 (50, Carter pen); 12-30 (62, Jane try); 12-32 (63, Carter conv); 12-37 (70, Smith try); 12-39 (71, Carter conv)

Teams
France: Damien Traille; Vincent Clerc (Dimitri Szarzewski 47), David Marty, Yannick Jauzion  (Yann David 60), Maxime Médard, (Cedric Heymans 72); Francois Trinh-Duc, Julien Dupuy, (Morgan Parra 58); Julien Bonnaire, Fulgence Ouedraogo, (Julien Puricelli 63), Thierry Dusautoir 7 (capt); Romain Millo-Chluski (Nicolas Mas 77), Sébastien Chabal  (Lionel Nallet  52); Sylvain Marconnet, William Servat, Fabien Barcella.

New Zealand: Mils Muliaina; Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu (Luke McAlister 70), Sitiveni Sivivatu; Dan Carter (Corey Flynn 72), Jimmy Cowan  (Andy Ellis  75); Kieran Read,  Richie McCaw (capt), Jerome Kaino; Tom Donnelly, Brad Thorn (Anthony Boric 65); Neemia Tialata, (Owen Franks 65), Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Replacements not used: Tanerau Latimer, Stephen Donald

** To cap a fine evening for the New Zealand captain Richie McCaw was also named as the IRB's International Player of the Year. South Africa were named Team of the Year, while Ireland's Declan Kidney was declared Coach of the Year.