All Blacks v France: A rivalry in numbers
One of the great rivalries in world rugby
From unforgettable World Cup clashes to famous Tests on both sides of the world, here are the numbers behind one of the game's greatest match-ups.
67 - Tests between the two nations
Saturday's clash will be the 68th official Test between the All Blacks and France. New Zealand has won 51 of the previous 67 Tests, France has won 15, while one match ended in a draw, giving the All Blacks a 76 percent winning record against Les Bleus.
WATCH: Richie McCaw and Thierry Dusautoir in Rivals: Les Bleus
1906 – The first Test
The rivalry began on New Year's Day 1906, when the Original All Blacks defeated France 38-8 in Paris. More than 120 years later, it remains one of international rugby's most celebrated Test rivalries.
40 - Years since the Baby Blacks stunned France
This year marks 40 years since one of the most famous victories in All Blacks history. On June 28, 1986, an inexperienced New Zealand side, forever remembered as the Baby Blacks, defeated reigning Five Nations champions France 18-9 at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. Led by David Kirk, the victory helped restore belief in New Zealand rugby and laid the foundations for the inaugural Rugby World Cup triumph just a year later.
Forty years on, the rivalry returns to Christchurch for another chapter.
WATCH: The Baby Blacks take on France in 1986
1 – Drawn Test
Despite 67 Tests between the nations, only one has ended all square. That came in Paris in 2002, where the All Blacks and France played out a 20-20 draw. It was level 10-10 at halftime, and by fulltime both teams had scored two tries, two conversions and two penalties in one of the most evenly matched contests in the rivalry's history.
62 – The biggest All Blacks score
The All Blacks recorded their highest score against France with a 62-13 victory in the 2015 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Cardiff. The nine-try performance remains one of the most dominant knockout displays in Rugby World Cup history, with Julian Savea’s hat-trick standing as one of the great individual displays on the tournament stage.
WATCH: The All Blacks lay down the challenge to France in Paris
51 – Test wins
No nation has defeated France in Test rugby more often than New Zealand. The All Blacks' 51 victories have come across six different decades and on four continents, highlighting the consistency of one of rugby's greatest teams against one of its fiercest rivals.
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8 – World Cup-winning points
The All Blacks scored just eight points in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, but it was enough to secure one of the most famous victories in New Zealand sporting history. A lone try to Tony Woodcock and a penalty from Stephen Donald sealed an 8-7 win over France at Eden Park, ending a 24-year wait for a second Rugby World Cup title in front of a home crowd.
WATCH: Look back at the 2011 Rugby World Cup
22% – France's win rate
France has won 15 of the 67 Tests between the sides, a 22 percent success rate. Many of those victories have become part of rugby folklore, including dramatic World Cup upsets in 1999 and 2007, proving that this rivalry has often delivered its biggest moments on the sport's grandest stage.
The All Blacks and France meet at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday 4 July to kick off both the inaugural Nations Championship and the All Blacks' 2026 Test season.
