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WhanganuiAll Manawatū - WhanganuiWhanganuiPalmerston NorthManawatūTararuaHorowhenuaWellingtonAll WellingtonKapitiWairarapaUpper HuttLower HuttNelson & TasmanAll Nelson & TasmanMotuekaNelsonTasmanMarlboroughWest CoastCanterburyAll CanterburyKaikōuraChristchurchAshburtonTimaruOtagoAll OtagoOamaruDunedinBalcluthaAlexandraQueenstownWanakaSouthlandAll SouthlandInvercargillGoreStewart IslandMediaVideoAll VideoNZ news videoHerald NOWBusiness news videoPolitics news videoSport videoWorld news videoLifestyle videoEntertainment videoTravel videoMarkets with MadisonKea Kids newsPodcastsAll PodcastsThe Front PageThe Economy of EverythingThe Prosperity ProjectA Moment in CrimeDesert PiratesNo Such Thing as NormalHeaven's HelplineAsk me AnythingThe Little ThingsCartoonsPhoto galleriesToday's Paper - E-editionsPhoto salesClassifiedsNZME NetworkAdvertise with NZMEOneRoofDriven Car GuideBusinessDeskNewstalk ZBSunliveZMThe HitsCoastRadio HaurakiThe Alternative Commentary CollectiveGoldFlavaiHeart RadioHokonuiRadio WanakaiHeartCountry New ZealandRestaurant HubNZME EventsPremiumOpinionOpinion byGregor PaulRugby analyst·NZ Herald·30 Jun, 2026 06:01 PM6 mins to readRugby analyst and feature writer‌Liam Napier and Elliott Smith analyse the big talking points ahead of the All Blacks' first test against France.All Blacks v France, Saturday, 7.05pmListen to live commentary on Newstalk ZB Sport and iHeartRadioIn an alternative universe, this week would have been the most symbolic of the previous All Blacks’ regime, had the hand of fate not delivered a dramatic plot twist in January.