New Zealand defeated France 34-32 in the opening match of the inaugural Nations Championship, played in Christchurch on 4 July. Will Jordan scored twice for the All Blacks, taking his Test try tally to 47 and moving within three of Doug Howlett's all-time record.
The Six Nations champions came close to a rare win on New Zealand soil, with tries from Damian Penaud, Antoine Hastoy, Théo Attissogbe and Matthieu Jalibert, but the All Blacks held on in a tense finish.