New Zealand’s first Nations Championship assignment already carries a blunt statistical warning for France.
The All Blacks’ official build-up has framed Saturday’s Christchurch opener around a rivalry that now stretches to 67 Tests, with New Zealand winning 51, France winning 15 and one match drawn. That gives the All Blacks a 76 per cent historical strike-rate before the sides meet at One New Zealand Stadium on 4 July.
That record matters because this is not just another July Test. It launches both the inaugural Nations Championship and New Zealand’s 2026 Test season, with Jason Ryan and the All Blacks coaching group needing an immediate benchmark before further home fixtures against Italy and Ireland.
France Get Familiar Pressure
France’s danger remains obvious. Their 1999 and 2007 World Cup shocks still sit inside the rivalry’s emotional memory, while last year’s series kept the edge alive. But the weight of numbers is severe: no nation has beaten France more often in Test rugby than New Zealand.
For the All Blacks, the task is to turn that history into tempo rather than comfort. Their recent Christchurch reset against Les Bleus was already pitched as a new-era marker. The latest official figures sharpen that frame: France are not only facing the black jersey, they are facing 120 years of accumulated pressure.
All Blacks.com also notes the rivalry began on New Year’s Day 1906, when New Zealand beat France 38-8 in Paris.
