Archive July 5, 2025

First Test: New Zealand v France

New Zealand (21) 31

Tries: Jordan 2, Vaai’i, S. Barrett Cons: B. Barrett 4 Pens: B. Barrett

France (13) 27

New Zealand delivered an underwhelming performance in Dunedin to narrowly beat France for the first time since 2018.

The All Blacks led 21-13 at the break, and despite a depleted French side moving within a point shortly after the restart, the hosts were able to see out the game following a late penalty from Beauden Barrett.

Played under a roof at the Forsyth-Barr stadium, New Zealand faced a French XV that only featured three players from their final match of this year’s Six Nations.

Will Jordan scored a try in each half for the All Blacks, with Scott Barrett and Tupou Vaa’i also going over as Beauden Barrett kicked four conversions.

There was drama right from the off as Sevu Reece was knocked unconscious less than a minute in when the New Zealand winger clattered into a French hip. Damian McKenzie replaced him and Jordan moved to the right flank.

France soon established a 10-0 lead as Joris Segonds kicked a penalty before Guillard crossed by the right post.

The home side responded as a Jordie Barrett try was denied by a knock-on but minutes later his brothers Scott and Beauden combined to send Jordan over in the right corner.

McKenzie kept up the momentum for the hosts, shrugging off four opponents before Vaa’i barged over to put the All Blacks four points up.

The Barrett brothers struck again on the stroke of half-time, as Jordie was able to touch down.

That eight-point lead disappeared soon after the break, as Segonds spread the ball wide to Villiere who jogged through a hole in the All Blacks’ line to score.

And although New Zealand responded with Jordan’s second try of the match, Woki came off the bench for the tourists to score his try and set up a nervy finish.

That pressure was eased slightly when Villiere was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.

Billy Proctor and Jordan both had tries disallowed by the TMO but Beauden Barrett was able to settle the game with his boot six minutes from time.

Head coach Gregor Townsend was delighted to see Scotland’s summer tour “start on a positive” with a 29-26 win over Maori All Blacks in New Zealand.

In a hard-fought non-cap international, the visitors’ tries came from Harry Paterson, Arron Reed and two either side of the interval from George Horne.

Scotland’s lead dwindled to three points with 10 minutes to go but a largely callow team held on under some fierce pressure.

“The Maori are a quality side and we decided to put a team out that wasn’t as experienced knowing that it’ll be a great development and learning experience for them,” said Townsend.

“But we also wanted to win this game and we’re so pleased that we did and how we set that win up in the first half – how clinical we were.

“And then the pressure around set-piece and our defensive effort at the end saw us through. So, we’re really pleased that the tour starts on a positive. “

It was hard to pick a player of the match given the gladiatorial efforts in defence, but it was Ollie Smith’s contribution in attack that means he was the cream of the crop.

His first assist came at a time where Scotland were struggling to break down the Maoris blitz defence, but his perfectly weighted kick put Paterson in.

His second, another stab in behind, was a great grubber and set up Reed. He managed both of these feats despite being lined up for several terrifying tackles.

It almost seems cruel that at the age of 26, Andy Onyeama-Christie only has eight Scotland caps.

At his best, there is very little to choose between him and Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge, or any of the plethora of Scotland’s back-row options.

Like Smith, this was his return to the international stage after a horrendous injury and, also like Smith, he made a faultless transition back to the big time.

The stats at half-time showed the Maoris had dominated ball possession, territory on the field, metres made – yet it was the Scots who led 24-12.

They were, for the first 40 minutes, clinical. Reminiscent of the attacking accuracy of the Six Nations, back-line moves were carried out with precision and Horne’s second try will go down as one of Scotland’s best.

They knew they couldn’t truck it up the middle, instead they waited to pick holes in behind the home defence and used their kicking game expertly. That’s where Smith, Adam Hastings and Horne all shone.

They had other opportunities to score, though. More points should have been taken when the Maoris were down to 13 men at the start of the second half, while the red-zone entry in the final 10 minutes lacked structure.

New South Wales Waratahs (5) 10

Tries: Lancaster, Dobbins

British and Irish Lions (14) 21

Huw Jones scored two tries as the error-ridden British and Irish Lions stumbled to an unconvincing victory against an understrength Waratahs side in Sydney.

Both of the Scotland centre’s tries came in the opening half and Fin Smith converted each time to put the Lions into a 14-0 lead.

Waratahs wing Darby Lancaster responded just before half-time and hooker Ethan Dobbins barged over just after the break to make it a four-point game.

The Lions were playing frantically and without accuracy, but did find their range through the impressive Alex Mitchell, who dummied his way over for the tourists’ third try midway through the second half.

Smith made it three from three with the boot but the disjointed Lions could not build on the cushion.

As was the case in Perth on Wednesday, there was a late change for the Lions, Henry Pollock withdrawing with a tight calf as a precaution.

That resulted in captain Tadhg Beirne moving from lock to blindside flanker, with Scott Cummings promoted from the bench.

Duhan van der Merwe was brought into the 23 for an unexpected chance.

In many ways it was a repeat of what had gone before with the 2025 Lions, with lots of possession, lots of promising field position but not nearly enough to show for it.

The mistake count was off the scale. The amount of dropped balls and turnovers lost was concerning for a team that is now four games into the tour and with the Test series looming large in just two weeks’ time.

They had the Waratahs scrum in trouble for much of the evening – a rare positive – but their handling errors checked their progress and their discipline weakened badly.

At times it felt as if they were firing it around indiscriminately with little thought about building pressure and momentum. Against a notably weakened Waratahs side, it was pretty underwhelming.

The Lions had made a promising start when Sione Tuipulotu came up as first receiver and found his Scotland and Glasgow midfield partner Jones on his shoulder.

Despite that good start, there was a desperation to the Lions’ play that led to errors. They were lateral and error-prone – and with each bout of angst, the Waratahs’ belief started to rise.

Midway through the first half they set up camp in the Lions 22, one penalty giving way to another then another. In that passage the tourists were penalised four times, but escaped a yellow card. The majority of the crowd inside Allianz Stadium did not approve, to say the least.

The Waratahs thought they had punished the Lions when Charlie Gamble blasted over in the corner, but the home side were penalised for obstruction. It was another lucky escape for the Lions following the avoidance of yellow card.

Jones got his second try when the siege was lifted – his lovely footwork from close range taking him outside his defender. Smith’s conversion put a gloss on the scoreboard, which read 14-0 to the Lions.

That did not last. The next time the Waratahs had a chance, they took it. Taniela Tupou and Rob Leota did brilliantly in the lead-up as they put Lancaster in down the left.

Keenan, in an awful moment on a rough night for the Ireland full-back, missed his tackle and Lancaster scored. The try was a touch fortunate. It looked as if Mack Hansen had been taken out illegally earlier in the move.

They struck again early in the second half when hooker Dobbins got on the end of a rumble and reached out to score. Again, the Waratahs failed with the extras, which was just as well for the Lions. They were leading 14-10 but toiling badly.

Mitchell, who was excellent, dummied his way over for the Lions’ third after the Waratahs made a mess of a tap penalty.

Mitchell was clinical in taking his chance and Smith added the conversion.

Things were beginning to look a little more like it but then the error mountain came again. Turnover upon turnover, scattergun stuff after scattergun stuff.

NSW Waratahs: Creighton; Kellaway, Foketi, Walton, Lancaster; Bowen, Wilson; Lambert, Dobbins, Tupou, Lee-Warner, Amatosero, Leota, Gamble, Sinclair.

Replacements: Vailanu, Barrett, Botha, Philip, Adamson, Grant, Edmed, O’Donnell.

British and Irish Lions: Keenan; Hansen, Jones, Tuipulotu, Kinghorn; Smith, Mitchell; Schoeman, Cowan-Dickie, Bealham, Cummings, Ryan, Beirne, Van der Flier, Earl.

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (New Zealand)

Assistant Referee 2: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)

TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)