Savea credits Ruben Love for 'taking control' as All Blacks edge France 34-32 in Christchurch thriller

Ardie Savea has praised Ruben Love for stepping up as an unexpected voice of authority during the All Blacks’ nervy 34-32 Nations Championship victory over France at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.

The first Test between the sides featured six lead changes and went down to the wire, with Dave Rennie’s New Zealand side ultimately holding off a French team missing Antoine Dupont and Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Despite the absences, Fabien Galthié’s squad pushed the All Blacks to the limit, demonstrating the depth available to France beyond their first-choice stars.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Savea explained how the leadership group responded when the pressure mounted. “I thought the rest of the leaders in our team really stepped up and ran our circles, and when we got put on the pressure again,” he said. “Ruben [Love] took control, really direct in his messaging and what we needed to do next, so like Ren’s said, really proud of the mindset and the effort.”

New Zealand’s approach with ball in hand was a notable feature of the performance — Rennie’s side attempted just six kicks in the first half — though Savea acknowledged that the team occasionally overplayed their hand. Looking ahead to next week’s fixture against Italy in Wellington, the All Blacks captain identified accuracy as the key area for improvement. “Just a few little skill sets and accuracy that we need to fix, and yeah, we’ll be on our way and build on that.”

Savea himself had a nervous moment during the warm-up, going down and appearing to favour one side before the match began. He later confirmed it was a nerve knock rather than anything more serious. “Got a knock to a nerve on my groin, and my thigh went numb, but it came right, so yeah.”

The evening also marked a Test debut for Fehi Fineanganofo, who came off the bench to play the final 12 minutes of the tight win. Savea, now a 106-Test veteran following a one-year sabbatical with Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan, was full of praise for all the debutants who featured. “I thought the guys that played their first test match were outstanding. Came on, did their job and had a few good carries,” he said. “I’m just really pleased for them and their families.”