All Blacks
Match thread
France II
Why drop Barrett? Thought he went pretty bloody well - DMac on the other hand was rocks and diamonds.
I’d stick with the same team barring injuries (Lomax for Newell & Clarke for Reece). Proctor was poor, but one game is not a big enough sample size.
Barrett’s passing in particular was really good. Am sure Will Jordan wants him to stay at 10.
Speaking of that jammy bastard, he must be getting high up on the try count now
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
That does raise one point - you'd like to think Williams and Lomax would have made a heck of a difference today.
Would they have?
I don't the forwards had any issues to be honest. It's not like Williams and Lomax are considerably better scrum agers than the players who started either.
They carry the ball more than EDG and Newell
Definitely - I'm not suggesting they're not better players. I just don't think they would've made that much of difference in that game. The All Blacks issues weren't that their forwards weren't carrying effectively enough.
With a better kicking/high ball game, a tiny bit more accuracy at crucial moments or smarter defence, and NZ would've won at a canter (easier said than done, or course, but I don't think better carrying from the starting props would've fixed any of those issues).
@frugby said in All Blacks v France 2:
Why drop Barrett? Thought he went pretty bloody well - DMac on the other hand was rocks and diamonds.
I’d stick with the same team barring injuries (Lomax for Newell & Clarke for Reece). Proctor was poor, but one game is not a big enough sample size.
He did go well, and yes, I agree, those are the only changes I'd make too.
@Kirwan said in All Blacks v France 2:
Barrett’s passing in particular was really good. Am sure Will Jordan wants him to stay at 10.
Speaking of that jammy bastard, he must be getting high up on the try count now
His strike rate per test is nothing short of ridiculous and his class and calmness under pressure is extraordinary
@frugby said in All Blacks v France 2:
Why drop Barrett? Thought he went pretty bloody well - DMac on the other hand was rocks and diamonds.
I’d stick with the same team barring injuries (Lomax for Newell & Clarke for Reece). Proctor was poor, but one game is not a big enough sample size.
I'd like Beauden to draw tacklers more
This will be a much different game compared to yesterday
Swirling mid winter Cake Tin as opposed to under the roof
French ref as opposed to Nick Berry
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France 2:
French ref as opposed to Nick Berry
Christophe Ridley is English despite the name. This will be his biggest test to date. He will also be younger than some of the players.
Scooter reportedly in doubt with an Achilles issue. Vaai might go back to lock, making room for another loosie
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
I'm not suggesting they're not better players. I just don't think they would've made that much of difference in that game
That much of a difference would have been quite the difference indeed. If you're getting a lot more from your props around the field, don't you think that then slides onto what you're getting from your other players?
Even if you just consider their personal contributions, those extra metres you get from Williams in close or that extra dominant hit/turnover you get from Lomax could turn a tight 4 point win into a comfortable 11 point win (and it's highly likely France wouldn't have finished with as much vigour if they were already out of the game).
@booboo said in All Blacks v France 2:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France 2:
French ref
Huh?
French first name. Christophe. Close enough....
@canefan said in All Blacks v France 2:
Scooter reportedly in doubt with an Achilles issue. Vaai might go back to lock, making room for another loosie
World-class lock moves back to lock due to injury to captain?
Un embarrasement de riches
@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
I'm not suggesting they're not better players. I just don't think they would've made that much of difference in that game
That much of a difference would have been quite the difference indeed. If you're getting a lot more from your props around the field, don't you think that then slides onto what you're getting from your other players?
Even if you just consider their personal contributions, those extra metres you get from Williams in close or that extra dominant hit/turnover you get from Lomax could turn a tight 4 point win into a comfortable 11 point win (and it's highly likely France wouldn't have finished with as much vigour if they were already out of the game).
Would people have felt massively differently about an 11-point win rather than a 4-point win? I feel like exactly the same comments would be made.
But getting into semantics here - obviously semantics have absolutely no place on the Fern.
I felt the props did ok but I did feel that Williams would have more impact around the field, at times EdG looked to me like he was willing himself to get up to speed between rucks.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
Would people have felt massively differently about an 11-point win rather than a 4-point win
I can't speak for people, but I struggle to see how an 11 point win against a wilting side wouldn't be much better than a 4 point win against a team threatening to take the win themselves. Especially in the first test. So yeah, I would've felt much different, especially seeing a better functioning ABs.
After the French moral victory in Dunedin, I can't see them making many changes. Rinse and repeat from them and they'll hope they get more out of a Northern Hemisphere ref, especially one with a French first name and who was born in Paris. 
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Bones there was a genuine chance we could have lost that. If so I'd be feeling as sick as a dog right now. I take the win and move on.
Right? So wouldn't you have felt remarkably better about it being out of reach in the dying minutes? Something like Savea having to do less carries and therefore having more in the tank for a big defensive play. That's the margin.
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France 2:
I'm not disagreeing with you. Thank goodness we won. We were a dropped pass away from losing
Lomax prolly woulda dropped it.
@BerniesCorner did you think our defence was that bad? A dropped ball and we'd lose?
More from Chat GTP on the man who will have le sifflet during Saturday's test.
Here’s a detailed look at Christophe Ridley, a rising star in rugby officiating:
⸻
🧑
️ Background & Education
• Born: 16 April 1993 in Paris, France, but is an English-qualified rugby referee .
• Education: Studied Sports Coaching at the University of Gloucestershire (from 2013), benefiting from a unique officiating scholarship run by ex-World Cup ref Chris White . He now tutors on the programme and serves as a “referee in residence” for the RFU–University Officiating Hub .
⸻
Refereeing Career
• 2016: Turned professional arena referee, debuting in Championship and quickly moving into Premiership Rugby .
• Premier Competitions: Regularly oversees Premiership Rugby, European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, and United Rugby Championship (since 2021–22) .
• International Stage:
• Debut as lead referee in Six Nations in 2024, officiating France v Italy .
• Assistant Referee at the 2023 Rugby World Cup .
⸻
Key Milestones
• Premiership Final 2024: Assigned as the main referee for the Northampton Saints vs Bath game at Twickenham—a prestigious first for a post-Wayne Barnes official . His semi-final showing earned him broad praise:
“Been the best ref in the league this season imo…” 
“To be fair Ridley has been better and not many referees get domestic and European finals in the same year.” 
• European Champions Cup 2023: One of the Assistant Referees in the final ().
⸻
️ Personality & Style
• Mentored by Wayne Barnes and influenced by Luke Pearce for his calm, flowing style .
• Performance-driven: Adopts a rigorous review routine—waking early post-match for analysis—with a pursuit of perfection, supported by his partner Katie Nelson .
• Mindset: Describes “quiet arrogance” and a constant quest for growth, regularly consulting experts across fields .
• Life off-field: Balances intense on-field demands with renovation projects, gym workouts, and time with his dogs and partner .
⸻
Community Engagement
• Hosts local events like quiz & curry nights to share insights and support veteran programmes .
• Actively involved in mentoring upcoming referees through his role with the University and RFU Officiating Hub .
⸻
Summary
Christophe Ridley is one of England’s most promising rugby referees: a former Leicester Tigers academy player turned professional official, with a strong academic foundation and a distinguished track record across domestic and international competitions. Known for his composed, performance-driven approach.
@sparky said in All Blacks v France 2:
After the French moral victory in Dunedin, I can't see them making many changes. Rinse and repeat from them and they'll hope they get more out of a Northern Hemisphere ref, especially one with a French first name and who was born in Paris.
Worked for them in 2011
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v France 2:
"Mentored by Wayne Barnes" - oh, great!?!
Strange world where you can have a Georgian, a Canadian and a Saffa play for France. And someone born in Paris as the neutral referee.
At least his French will be good rather than some of the comedy attempts to speak the language we've had from referees over the years.....
@sparky said in All Blacks v France 2:
Strange world where you can have a Georgian, a Canadian and a Saffa play for France. And someone born in Paris as the neutral referee.
At least his French will be good rather than some of the comedy attempts to speak the language we've had from referees over the years.....
Don't you just speak louder with an accent?
@booboo said in All Blacks v France 2:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France 2:
Strange world where you can have a Georgian, a Canadian and a Saffa play for France. And someone born in Paris as the neutral referee.
At least his French will be good rather than some of the comedy attempts to speak the language we've had from referees over the years.....
Don't you just speak louder with an accent?
Louder and slower. Makes you damn near fluent in whatever country you are in
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v France 2:
@frugby said in All Blacks v France 2:
Why drop Barrett? Thought he went pretty bloody well - DMac on the other hand was rocks and diamonds.
I’d stick with the same team barring injuries (Lomax for Newell & Clarke for Reece). Proctor was poor, but one game is not a big enough sample size.
I'd like Beauden to draw tacklers more
Lol which one was it where BB basically caught and passed with no one around him and Marshall started sucking him off for his "draw and pass"?
I wouldn't make a single change. We won, we did a lot very well.
Another week together and see what happens.
@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France 2:
I wouldn't make a single change. We won, we did a lot very well.
Another week together and see what happens.
Including picking a concussed Sevu Reece?
Love to start, DMac back to the bench to hopefully do his thing in the last 20/30.
Would've been interesting how much worse the kicking would have been with a back three that kick worse than half the loosies in the country.
@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
Love to start, DMac back to the bench to hopefully do his thing in the last 20/30.
Would've been interesting how much worse the kicking would have been with a back three that kick worse than half the loosies in the country.
I think Razors plan for DMAC is just that, because he will be expecting to bring Mounga back into the side next year, so DMAC can cover 10/15 from the bench
@sparky said in All Blacks v France 2:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France 2:
I wouldn't make a single change. We won, we did a lot very well.
Another week together and see what happens.
Including picking a concussed Sevu Reece?
Yes, if his missus had to deal with a concussion so can he
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
Love to start, DMac back to the bench to hopefully do his thing in the last 20/30.
Would've been interesting how much worse the kicking would have been with a back three that kick worse than half the loosies in the country.
I think Razors plan for DMAC is just that, because he will be expecting to bring Mounga back into the side next year, so DMAC can cover 10/15 from the bench
Bait.
@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
Love to start, DMac back to the bench to hopefully do his thing in the last 20/30.
Would've been interesting how much worse the kicking would have been with a back three that kick worse than half the loosies in the country.
I think Razors plan for DMAC is just that, because he will be expecting to bring Mounga back into the side next year, so DMAC can cover 10/15 from the bench
Bait.
Bones, stop talking shit
