By now you've seen the All Blacks' win over France, or at least heard about it from someone who saw it. You know the scoreline, 39-12. You've watched the All Blacks' attack absolutely dismantle the French defense. You've had described to you the scrums, which started off horribly and turned into an even contest. You heard about the rucks and the brilliance of Richie McCaw and Kieran Read in that area. But you've paid most attention to Sivivatu, Mils and Jane, who were in blazing form.

That was the difference between this test and all the others I think. The forwards were not as dominant as they have been in past tests, particularly against Australia, Cowan was his usual exceptional self, Carter ran as well as always [when he did], Nonu was his normal rhinoceros persona charging at the line.

But when a deep kick was fielded, it was returned by that player. It wasn't kicked back with a midfield bomb, nor was it spread across the field [a tactic which doesn't work anymore].

Sivi, Mils and Jane backed themselves. And it paid off. You could see their confidence lift [not that it was lacking] as each return reaped more and more reward. Look at Mils try where Sivi faked a kick to draw the defender! The three of them all scored tries in the game, the first time this has happened against a tier-one side since 2003's Rugby World Cup match against France [Mils, Rokocoko and Howlett got a try apiece. For the historians among us, the back three have scored against tier-two nations twice between now and then - Rokocoko, Evans and Sivi against Romania at the 2007 RWC and in 2005, Sivi, Mils and Howlett each grabbed a 5-pointer against Fiji.]

The thing which got to me though was in the final 10 minutes. France would receive a full-arm penalty within our half and take the kick at goal. Why? You'd broken our line throughout the game, only to have stoic defense hold you out from. You'd kept the ball in hand and barely played the territory game.

The answer is obvious, of course. They gave up. Conrad Smith put the final nail in the coffin and the French knew they didn't have a chance. But still - would it not have been good to be the team that does what no team has done for two years [not just under Wayne Smith] and score a try against the ABs? If you don't ask questions of them, you'll never make them crack.

As for Smith, he and Donnelly were my MVP picks for this match. Sure, you had everyone I've already mentioned but Smith's distribution and option-taking were perfect and as Tracey Nelson's stats show, he was a beast on defense. Donnelly I pick because he was consistent. If he wasn't in the first three to the breakdown, he was with the next couple. He had a few useful touches of the ball and was great at protecting it.

Highlights thanks to RugbyDump:

Before the Cricket kicked off [tipped off? Bowled off? Hit off?] this week, the fellows over at Sportsfreak were focused on the All Blacks' end of year tour, and the lack of tries in their games. The print media also seem to have chosen this as their lead angle ahead of this weekend's match (exhibit a, b, c, d... need I go on?) against France.

You can see my original response over there, where I gave some stats about the tries the All Blacks have scored and conceded in the NH over the past 11 years, but it sparked something in me. At school, I didn't really pay much attention in Maths. If it was something that captured my attention (like graphs and shit) I'd do it, but as soon as I got to sixth form I dropped it. It's never been a problem in day to day life, but this week I've felt completely incompetent. I've been trying to come up with all kinds of mathmatical stats and graphs for this post, and I'm extremely lucky to have Hadyn's patient tutelage to help me. If it hadn't been for him, you'd have all kinds of data here, and it would be presented on an unreadable line graph.

Something I didn't need help for was gathering the data for this. And it's actually a new feature of the Dropkicks. You can see it here. Currently it features all international test matches from 2006-today, but I may backdate it eventually if I see the need, and I may use it for a post about the Rugby World Cup and whether the 'minnow' teams are becoming more competitive.

The first table to have a look at, because I know you want to see the stuff revolving around the All Blacks, is the 6 Nations. [if this was TV that would be a hook - You would have no choice but to stick with me to find out. But this is a blog, so it doesn't work as well... Fuck.]

Good luck to both the All Blacks and France [and go Wales! Fuck yeah!] this weekend. Since the All Blacks have been reviewing the tape from the loss, so can you.

There is a real feeling, rightly or wrongly, that it defines us, this game.

Wayne Smith could not have said it better. For himself, Steve Hansen and Graham Henry, this weekend's match against France will be the way this international season is remembered. Forget all that has come before it - Sivivatu's tackle in Tokyo, the switching 'round of the coaching panel, the brothers travelling the country with a spraypainted rooster, the new sponsorship deal with Telecom, the 'are they rushing him back?' return of Dan Carter, the failure to tell the team the amount of points they needed to beat France by in Wellington, the criticisms of Luke McAlister after his first test back in black, the Mathieu Bastareaud saga which forced the country to look at the social machinations of rugby union and its fans [and whether they've changed over the past two decades], the decision to leave Isaac Ross behind and the withdrawal of players from the Air New Zealand Cup - this season boils down to a mirror image of the first game of the season.

This time, we will be playing on their turf. We will be the ones in white. We will be the ones coming off a successful campaign. We are the ones who are prepared.

Hello, and welcome to the glog of the 2nd test between the All Blacks and France from a windy, cold and slightly wet Wellington.

After winning the first test in Dunedin last week, the French are eyeing a rare series win in New Zealand, only their second after the 1994 series was decided by the "try from the ends of the earth".

The All Blacks, on the other hand, are under the cosh from the country's media (so what's new?) and it's widely expected - well, hoped - that they'll bounce back with an improved performance.

The teams:

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Josevata Rokocoko, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Isaac Ross, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 John Afoa, 18 Bryn Evans, 19 George Whitelock, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Isaia Toeava.

France: 15 Maxime Medard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Maxime Mermoz, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Cedric Heymans, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5 Romain Millo-Chluski,4 Sebastien Chabal, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Fabien Barcella.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Remy Martin, 19 Damien Chouly, 20 Dimitri Yachvili, 21 Florian Fritz, 22 Mathieu Bastareaud.

The referee is Marius Jonker from South Africa.

The Caketin looks suitably cold and windy as the teams run out. Sprinkles of rain and a Tricolor-coloured rooster flit round the stadium.

Big matches for Tanerau Latimer at openside and Kieran Read at Number 8 for the ABs. The AB backrow was MIA last week - will they be any better this week with the rearrangement for Read and the inclusion of Latimer and Kaino?

Time for the anthems. Stirring as usual for the French. The NZ one is backed by a Casio keyboard demo track. Haka time. Ka mate or Kapo o Pango? Ka mate it is. And as they finish the roof of the Caketin lights up in fireworks.

And they're off. ABs receive and make a couple of kicks. Not great kicks, which is a shame, because they need to improve that area from last week. That's four kicks now, the last two actually working quite well because of the chase, putting pressure on the French receivers and turning the ball back over.

Penalty to ABs on French 22! Stephen Donald lines it up...and misses it. Will probably see quite a few misses tonight. I don't think I've seen any passes tonight yet. May as well be watching a game of forceback. This must be the famous "feeling out" phase. Surprised Murray Mexted hasn't mentioned that.

France has a lineout in the ABs 22. Any bets for a rolling maul? No! They send it out through the backs. And...drop kick. Well, well, well. Not a night for dropkicks, I would've thought. Any sensible Dropkick would be well ensconced in their living room with the heater on watching the rugger on the TV. Waah waah waaaah.

Argggh. Bad bad little kick through by Stephen Donald. France gather easily and make a good yardage gain down into the AB 22. And, as I just say that, France muck up another kick through by Cowan.

Cowan and his two little steps before he passes pisses me off. The ball is faster than the man Cowan. And to make matters worse, he step, steps, passes to Rokocoko in a terrible position and Rokocoko gets three Frenchman at the same time. Is there any situation where getting three Frenchman is in any way good? Why is Cowan in ahead of Weepu? And, as I just say that, Cowan almost sets up Rokocoko in a hole. But then he lives up to my expectations and throws a shocking pass.

HOLLYWOOD ALERT! Rokocoko charges down a kick-through by the French and chases Heymans back into the French in-goal. Heymans clears, but gets Nonu's dreadlocked noggin after the fact. The French medicos attend Heymans, but the ref whistles for a penalty to the French and Heymans miraculously recovers.

Penalty to ABs. About 35 out on a slight angle for Donald. Will this be the first points? No. Kicks it straight. But to the right. Stephen Donald! Passes to himself and drops it. Ugh. The halfbacks for the ABs aren't exactly covering themselves in glory.

Ruck ball far too slow...come on Cowan, why the hesitancy?

TRY! It doesn't matter, though, as Rokocoko cuts back, gets taken down in a tackle but finds Nonu in support who scampers over for the opening score. ABs 5 - 0 France. Donald misses the kick. Looks like Donald's radar is well off tonight.

Ooooh ooooh...........Benefit of the doubt to the defenders. No try to Cory Jane. Bummer. Bit of spark by the ABs, though. Mealamu to the fore.

Argggh. Donald and his lame little chip kicks. France have it easily covered. Chabal. First time I've heard his name tonight. France get lucky penalty kick and miss. No kicks made yet.

God damn it Donald, your kicks in play are not good. Another penalty kick to France, this one probably justified. A long way out though. Not a bad effort considering the wind, but still misses.

Now a penalty kick to the ABs. Donald not that far out, but his confidence will be down. Can he make it? Yes he can! ABs 8 - France 0. And that's HALF TIME.

And the second half, and not a good start for the ABs. Scrum on halfway and Tialata penalised for going in on the angle. Oh no! Mexted honing in on the word "cock". Dupuy lines up the penalty and it's just short.

The pitch is slippery. First Donald plays skittles with a couple of lumbering French forwards after trying to sidestep them, then Cowan goes for a skate.

TRY! Great run by Heymans down the sideline, but absolutely terrible defence by the ABs. Jane's inexperience on the wing shows. ABs 8 - France 7. Game back on. France's dander is up. The psychic energy is back with them.

And just as I say that, France use their get out of jail free card. Twice.

Actually, I like the look of Kieran Read on the back of the scrum. And the ABs get a lucky penalty. Couldn't see too much wrong with what the French did. Donald lining it up from the sideline. And he gets it! ABs 11 - France 7. And at last, Weepu on for Cowan. Afoa on for Tialata. Chabal off, Martin on. Donald limping - McAlister on soon?

Jeez - look out for Heymans on that left wing. He looks dangerous every time he takes the ball. Now Stephen Donald gets mucked about by the Wellington wind again and the French get a penalty. Which they miss. Ah well, easy come, easy go.

Helter skelter. Thorn saves NZ's skin. And that's it, Donald's off. Not a good game by Donald. McAlister's chance. If McAlister plays well, I think that'll be it for Donald. Until McAlister plays himself out again.

France penalised for killing the ball, something they're very good at. McAlister lines up for goal. Very nice kick. ABs 14 - France 7. Bryn Evans on for Isaac Ross. Toeava on for Smith. Florian Fritz on for Clerc. And whoops, Mealamu stuffs up the kick off and Thorn coming back from offside kicks it. France's turn for 3 points. Yachvili taking it. He nails it. ABs 14 - France 10.

Trying to work out who man of the match would be. I must admit no one from either side has really stood out. Heymans has had a good match. Latimer for the ABs. He's shown the value of having a proper openside.

I can say it won't be the referee. He's been very ordinary. Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. I don't think the current rules are conducive to "good" refereeing. But he has made a few decisions I don't agree with.

OK, McAlister hasn't endeared himself to me. Drops the ball with France under pressure. Actually, if NZ hold on, I think my MotM will be Keven Mealamu. He's had a very good game so far. And the time is ripe for another "try from the ends of the earth".

Streaker or other interloper? Of course, the TV doesn't show it, but the player and crowd reactions make it seem likely. There's Richie McCaw in the crowd. Get un-injured soon Richie!

Justice for the French. Weepu kicks over the top into acres of space, but Rokocoko miles in front and it looks like the ref missed it. Fortunately for Les Bleus the bounce of the ball is very, very cruel. Huge scrum by the Blacks. Drop kick by McAlister wide. "Try from the ends of the..." No! Damien Traille drops it! They were 80 metres out, but these are the French, so who knows what might have been? The French coaching staff look sick.

And that's it - FULL TIME. All Blacks 14 - France 10.

Much better by the All Blacks. Were the better team today, and deserved the win. France, however, take the Dave Gallaher Trophy on points differential. My man of the match: Keven Mealamu.

A much better performance from the Kiwi loose forwards. Adam Thomson will have a hard time displacing Tanerau Latimer. And I thought Kieran Read looked at home off the back of the scrum. Cowan and Donald had an off night in the halves, and I'm at a loss as to why Weepu isn't starting. McAlister didn't really have a chance to impress when he came on, but I'm picking he'll start against Italy next week. The conditions weren't conducive to open running rugby, so Nonu, Smith and the back three suffered a bit. The front row made a better fist of this match, and by the end were dominating the French scrum, although Nicolas Mas was off at that stage and I think that made a difference. The AB locks had solid games, with Brad Thorn putting in a big showing.

Good luck in Australia, France!

After the slight (and hardly noticeable) mistake in the last podcast this time (ah, the perils of a two-podcast household) we've got it all correct (except the result of the game which we got wrong).

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Now all we have to do is wait for the PrettyPrettyPretty post where they talk about rugby.

It's been a looooooong time, but we're back! 

Well, not all of us, but enough of us to record a semi-coherent fairly-audible podcast. And in the great tradition of the Dropkicks, I've uploaded it after the game we tried to predict.