France finally broke a 21-year home losing streak to New Zealand in a dramatic win that featured a huge momentum-shifting play in the second half. After dominating early and going up 24-6, France let New Zealand crawl back to a 25-24 score. Then, in the 62nd minute, French fly-half Romain Ntamack made a gutsy decision. Instead of touching the ball down for a safe clearance, he sprinted from behind his own try line, broke several tackles, and threw a no-look offload to his teammate. The ambitious move flipped the field and set up France for a stronger position instead of just giving up possession.
That gamble paid off. Not long after, New Zealand picked up a yellow card, and France responded with a penalty kick to go up 28-25. Then came the dagger. New Zealand tried to move the ball wide, but a French defender read the play perfectly, stepped in front of the pass, picked it off clean, and scored a game-sealing try. That made it 35-25 and locked in France’s first win over the All Blacks since 2009 and the first at home since 2000. New Zealand, already reeling from a loss to Ireland, closed out a rough campaign with back-to-back defeats. France, on the other hand, looked composed and opportunistic, capitalizing when it counted and delivering a statement win.