Live Commentary: All Blacks face France in Nations Championship clash

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Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2026, 4:04pm

It's the first test of Dave Rennie's leadership – the All Blacks taking on France in the first-ever Nations Championship match.

Newstalk ZB will be bringing you all the action, Elliott Smith, Jason Pine, and former All Black Matt Todd providing live commentary of Saturday's clash at Christchurch's One NZ Stadium.

Listen live from 7pm.

All Blacks v France, Nations Championship test, 7.10pm, Saturday, One New Zealand Stadium

The All Blacks haven’t played a test in Christchurch since a 25-18 defeat to Argentina in 2022, and it’s been almost a decade since their last win in the city, which was a 41-13 victory over the Springboks in 2016. Beauden Barrett, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor and Anton Lienert-Brown are the only members of the current squad to have won a test in Christchurch.

France last played in Christchurch in 2013, a 30-0 defeat. Their only win was back in 1994.

The Six Nations champions will be without eight players who took part in the Top 14 final, including Romain Ntamack, Alexandre Roumat and Peato Mauvaka. They will be free to play against Australia and Japan, however. Antoine Dupont withdrew from the July campaign with a calf injury but would have missed the All Blacks test.

Rennie named his first squad last week, which features four uncapped players in Fehi Fineanganofo, Josh Moorby, Xavier Numia and Anton Segner, while Ardie Savea is the new captain.

The inaugural Nations Championship sees the Southern and Northern Hemispheres square off every two years in a 12-team, two-pool tournament format, featuring the Six Nations, the four Sanzaar nations, Japan and Fiji.

All Blacks v France history

Played - 67

All Blacks won - 51

France won - 15

Draws - 1

All Blacks points scored - 1781

France points scored - 961

France tests in Christchurch

1961 - All Blacks 32 France 3

1968 - All Blacks 12 France 9

1979 - All Blacks 23 France 9

1984 - All Blacks 10 France 9

1986 - All Blacks 18 France 9

1987 - France 20 Scotland 20

1989 - All Blacks 25 France 17

1994 - France 22 All Blacks 8

2003 - All Blacks 31 France 23

2013 - All Blacks 30 France 0

All Blacks v France line-ups

All Blacks team to play France: 1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Josh Lord, 5. Sam Darry, 6. Peter Lakai, 7. Luke Jacobson, 8. Ardie Savea (c), 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Ruben Love, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Quinn Tupaea, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Damian McKenzie

Reserves: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Xavier Numia, 18. Tyrel Lomax, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Wallace Sititi, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Billy Proctor, 23. Fehi Fineanganofo

France squad to play All Blacks:

France: 1. Jefferson Poirot 2. Maxime Lamothe 3. Demba Bamba 4. Hugo Auradou 5. Tom Staniforth 6. Pierre Bochaton 7. Oscar Jegou 8. Marko Gazzotti 9. Maxime Lucu (c) 10. Matthieu Jalibert 11. Theo Attissogbe 12. Yoram Moefana 13. Fabien Brau-Boirie 14. Damian Penaud 15. Max Spring.

Bench: 16. Barnabe Massa 17. Reda Wardi 18. Regis Montagne 19. Mickael Guillard 20. Killian Tixeront 21. Nolann Le Garrec 22. Antoine Hastoy 23. Nicolas Depoortere

Form guide (past five tests)

All Blacks:

Beat Wales 52-26

Lost to England 33-19

Beat Scotland 25-17

Beat Ireland 26-13,

Beat Australia 28-14

France:

Beat England 48-46

Lost to Scotland 50-40

Beat Italy 33-8

Beat Wales 54-12

Beat Ireland 36-14

All Blacks v France referee

Englishman Luke Pearce is in charge of the test with Christophe Ridley and Katsuki Furuse as the assistant referees. Pearce has refereed six All Blacks matches before, including a famous 35-23 victory over the Springboks under Ian Foster. His only All Blacks-France clash was in 2018 at Eden Park when the home side won 52-11.