As a symbol, it was he who kicked off, at the stroke of 9 p.m., in an incandescent Stade de France. For the XV of France and for Romain Ntamack, this Saturday, November 20, was the start of the show in this France-New Zealand. For 66 minutes, the opening half of the Blues worked hard to build, regulate, conclude, even, and guide the Blues to the top.
For his first against the dreaded All Blacks, the Toulousain was not impressed. From the start, he sought to liven up the game, testing the limits of the New Zealand defense. Limits that he was quick to push until the end, in the 11th minute, after a long French offensive, by going to flatten the ball in the in-goal Black on a devastating inside hook. His fifth try for the French team, the first since Ireland at the end of the Six Nations Tournament, on October 31, 2020. Perhaps the most important.
After two years in number 12, against Argentina and Georgia, Ntamack regained his favorite position at the opening. And on the field, he immediately showed more ease than during his last outings. At half-time, the Toulouse player was already showing crazy statistics: 18 meters gained, three defenders beaten, ten assists. In legs, he also gave a lot of voice to guide his line.
Like the rest of the squad, he experienced a slight drop in speed at the start of the second half, when the All Blacks stepped on the accelerator. Fewer assists (2), but a lot of shadow work to try to keep the XV of France afloat. And always with your head held high to kick off after the opposing trials. Until his exit, in the 66th minute, Romain Ntamack was simply essential.
Unleashed, the Toulousain offered the public at the Stade de France some of these flashes of which he has the secret. The most beautiful, the most important, in the 62nd minute, when New Zealand had just come back to two points and put pressure on the French defense. He first tore off to recover a pass to the opposing foot in his goal, before starting a small solo act, before finding support. The turning point of the match, because the men of Fabien Galthié benefited, at the end of this movement from a penalty, transformed by Melvyn Jaminet, accompanied by a yellow card collected by Ardie Savea. Five minutes later, Damian Penaud scored the fourth and final try of the match.
The match in the number 10 game quickly turned to the advantage of the Frenchman. Almost perfect in his score in the first period (he was caught inside for the first time in the match in the 37th minute), Romain Ntamack got the better of Richie Mo’unga. More present to break the lines (twice against zero), in the passes after contact (three against one), he has carved out a boss costume.
More generally, his association with his friend Antoine Dupont worked better than the New Zealand doublet. Between them, the French, big winners with the applause throughout the meeting, totaled 69 meters gained, against 40 for Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga. The two players had been aligned together 21 times in club and in selection since September 2020, for 19 victories. They went to win a 20th this Saturday evening.