At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Steve Hansen says his hot and cold All Blacks have learned another important lesson in Paris.
The world champions produced the latest of many stuttering displays this year in seeing off a resurgent France 38-18 on Saturday.
It was a classic Test of two halves, with New Zealand having romped 31-5 clear in an alarmingly one-sided first spell before threatening to melt in the face of an inspired home side after the break.
Four of New Zealand’s five tries came in the compelling opening 40 minutes.
The messiness after halftime was encapsulated by a brain fade from second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams which resulted in a yellow card and penalty try.
With little pressure on him, Williams deliberately batted a cross kick over the dead ball line, a play he would have got away with in his former code league.
It seemed to ignite the French, who dominated 88 per cent of territory in the second half and were only denied by some staunch All Blacks defence in the slippery conditions.
Hansen says while there are positives to take from the five-tries-to-two win, he can understand why there is frustration at his team’s inconsistency.
Poor discipline, most notably 11 penalties conceded after halftime, was their biggest fault, he said.
“As a result of that, we allowed the momentum to shift.
“The French were good enough to take advantage and put us under pressure but I was happy with the way we fought our way through it.
“We’d scored enough points in the first half to get the job done.”
Hansen repeated his refrain of several months now that it will take time for several new players he is blooding this year to come up to Test standard.
“We’ve just got to be patient and keep making sure that off the park we’re learning as much as we can.”
The All Blacks got on top early against an injury-ravaged French side fielding six uncapped players and two young halves making their first Test starts.
Playmaker Beauden Barrett, who missed last month’s loss to the Wallabies in Brisbane, was influential in general play and landed all his six shots at goal.
Barrett set up the first two tries with neat passes – the first a short ball to hooker Dane Coles and the second a loopy cut-out to winger Waisake Naholo.
France responded with a slick team try to winger Teddy Thomas, reducing the scoreline to 17-5.
With French prop Rabah Slimani in the sin bin for repeat scrum offences, the All Blacks crossed twice through centre Ryan Crotty and flanker Sam Cane.
First five-eighth Anthony Belleau, who enjoyed a promising debut, landed penalty goals either side of the penalty try as France threatened their first win over the All Blacks in 11 Tests.
The All Blacks scored against the run of play on the final hooter when Naholo bagged his second try.
Hansen said Coles was to have his left knee assessed after exiting the Test in the first half.
Captain Kieran Read was replaced because of a groin niggle which Hansen didn’t rate as serious.
Jacko
Guest
Spot on Chuck except you said he didnt do it deliberately......His change from the 1st half to the second was beyond a joke. The Lions benifited from deliberate decisions as well....I hate to think it but why are the TMOs checking every ABs play for anything they can find yet missing hits to the ABs heads from opposition? There APPEARS to be a deliberate attempt to bring the ABs back to the field
Jacko
Guest
But there is no fluency in league...one out run x 5 then kick
In brief
Guest
Snooze
CHUCKED
Guest
I very rarely whinge or comment on the reffing, but Gardner had a woeful game and most of the bad decisions affected the AB'S. he clearly didnt do it deliberately,he just made some woeful decisions. You do not let a player take the tap again, he was 100 % wrong and its absolute rubbish to award the penalty try. The frenchman was flying, SBW could have caught it , tapped it sideways, etc. Theres no way the frog could have gotten the ball down. This invisible player BS is as bad as the penalties in 2nd and 3rd Lions tests...oh and also both against the All Blacks. Question- how foul mouthed would Cheika have gotten in the coaches box if his team conceded a penalty try.
slat
Guest
I guess the French took their pills at half time. They must of been good pills as they almost pulled off another famous victory?
Jacko
Guest
And to many different interpretations of the same laws
ClarkeG
Guest
Cuw ...none of that matters. He kicked the ball...it should have been play on once that happened. Agree however that the refs attempt to explain it away was lame. So a penalty kick can never be taken whilst the referee is on the mark ...yeah right. Also agree that the penalty kicks are being taken well ahead of the marks. I also wonder how many conversions are taken in line with where the tries are scored. One upon a time the referee used to mark the try and walk in a direct line to give the kicker his line. That does not occur any more.
Cuw
Guest
as i said above saw Taqele Naiyaravoro do it in his first match for Waratahs. got a card but no PT but for me it is the first time to see a PT awarded and then to read about this " Invisible Man Law". more concerning is that neither Gardener nor Hansen did not know of the "Invisible Man Law". me not knowing is passable but a ref and a coach is supposed to know such. this is the biggest problem with rugger - too many laws and too many obscure Laws !!!!
piru
Roar Rookie
Yes, so given that most people know it and few people ever do it, it's reasonable to think someone new might not be aware. It's been blown out of proportion in my opinion.
Jerry
Guest
No, but the reason it doesn't come up is that mostly people know better than to try it. I can only recall it happening a few times. 1 - Rico Gear passed a ball over the sideline at the end of a match. Time was up and NZ were well ahead. 2 - Dan Carter did it vs England in 05 (I think). Was in the in-goal, got a pen but no PT cause there were other defenders there. 3 - An Irish player did it and got a PT against him. Richie McCaw was diving on the ball and the other player reached in front and slapped it away.
piru
Roar Rookie
CUW - It really doesn't come up that often, does it? Do you reckon everyone at home knew the law before this happened? He either - thought it was allowed or, - knew it wasn't and decided to do it anyway or, - wasn't sure and decided to take a punt
zhenry
Guest
Are you a naturalized AU, Moaman? A cadaver? Typical NZ negative. What you’d expect getting your info from the AU media for so long. However AB coaches need to stop letting the ABs off the hook. What are they saying at half time, watching a Sound of Music video, coming out for the second half with Julie Andrews ‘the hills are alive...F..... Get them in a circle and focus on ‘no more penalties, get it, no more penalties, keep the focus all way thru second half, no more penalties. It goes right back to last RWC (and further) with ‘close game’ against SA, all AB points were tries, all SA points were penalties? The refs have been hyped up by Fairfax and MReason - ABs are by far the most filthy side in world rugby, and so on. Another thing, one way to put ABs off their game is to engage in niggle, they fall for it every time. Before each game, focus, play the ball, got it, play the ball. During game and momentum swing, Captain form huddle, deep breaths, focus, no more penalties, no more niggle, get it. Also Soppagna needs game time, as Cruden did. So many good players, more alternate games.
Bob
Guest
Yeah give it up bro, yous sound like a soccer fan
John R
Roar Guru
The English bloke commentating on BeIn sports sounded like he was creaming his pants for the entire second half. 'They've reallllyyyy upset the apple cart here the French' mate, they're losing by more than two tries!
Dontcallmeshirley
Guest
I thought he had a good game outside of that one incident.
Dontcallmeshirley
Guest
Angus Gardner is a good ref. However there is no doubt he had a bad game.
Jacko
Guest
What is this Davski....Dont mention the War????? How do you talk about that match without the ref being a major part of the talking? Just ignore the BS? Just talk about a small % of the match?
Scrumma
Guest
Massive effort from my brothers to get the result playing against 19 ?
In brief
Guest
There's no way it was a penalty try as huget had no play on the ball. If SBW didn't punch it he would have caught it. If he didn't catch it the ball probably would have hit him on the head. Forget about invisibility cloaks, under no realistic scenario would Huget have caught it. If the rules state that was a penalty try the rules need changing.
mad mick
Guest
Time is up for SBW. One more brain explosion. Lions series lost because he can’t help himself with his RL instincts coming to the surface. And now another brain explosion and a yellow card. What if it happens in WC final. I don’t think Hansen will be smiling then. I don’t think Foster will be saying he’s a work in progress then.