Notes from France – New Zealand: Thomas Ramos is the king of the air, Gregory Aldrete is indefensible!

Thomas Ramos (3.5/5). He was there for that opener. Tested by black-ball kicks, he was flawless on high balls – with the exception of one striker (22) – and maintained his position well against the posts (two misses). Melvin Jamint (76) replaced him to score a try at the end of the match (78).

Damien Benaud (3). An attempt relieved the Blues (55). His second spell, where he was sharper and more available, made up for a mediocre first term. He struggled instead against Telea and was a little wait and see for the All Blacks' second try.

Gael Fico (2.5). A defensive communication issue with Moivana allowed the Lions to break through the curtain in the midfield several times. The problems were resolved throughout the match, and Fico, like a good leader of the defence, made up some shots.

Yoram Moivana (2). A solitary defensive climb opens the door for Ioane for New Zealand's first try. He let the event consume him before pulling his head out of the water a bit and refocusing on his defensive qualities. He was replaced by Arthur Vincent (58), author of an excellent contest on Lehnert-Brown (68).

Gabin Villiers (2.5). If he sometimes played a little alone without looking at the positions of potential defensive support, he was once again a “dog” on the field. At the rocks, chasing the New Zealanders, Toulonier redoubled his efforts.

Mathieu Jalibert (3). Very cold, and very hot too. Lacking inspiration in the first half, with a penalty miss in particular (13th minute), he let his instincts do the talking. About to give Damien Benaud a try with a foot pass, he ended up giving that gift to the winger with a Jalibert-style kick: quick and unexpected.

Antoine Dupont (2.5/5). Voluntary, active, for DuPont in the text in brief. His team was facing a difficult encounter, and he knew how to put his hands in the rocks (33). His height in the kicking game allowed the Blues to breathe. On the other hand, he did not have the offensive flashes that he had, especially the pressure of Smith, his opposite. He was replaced by Maxim Loko (76).

Gregory Aldrete (4). Big game with the Blues for Rochelais. Once he took off the helmet, we knew he was getting more serious. A huge burst of energy – a 40m sprint to put pressure on Monga (33) – a strong presence in the rocks and an ability to always move forward. Awesome.

Charles Ollivon (3.5). The former captain remains an undeniable leader of this team. In addition to the stolen touchdowns (40), the Lions were blocked in receptions, among other things. Their ability to participate in the continuity of the game makes French movements more flexible.

François Cros (3). He knows how to shine in the shadows. His qualities in destroying dark quests are well known and he showed it again yesterday. The Toulouse man tackled with all his might and smashed rocks to secure the balls. Paul Bodehint (63 years old) who did not allow himself to be afraid of the challenge. The Rochelais brought a lot of intensity to the defense. He still scores points thanks to his activity.

Thibaud Flament (3). Less obvious than usual, but still precious. However, he did a good job replacing Paul Willemse by disrupting the French grouping on the right, behind Atonio. He was still often well placed in French attacks, and was not far behind at the finish (46th).

Cameron Walke (2). Still not a 2022 Grand Slam champion. Overall clean match, but no brilliance. He handled the ball well and got along well with the team. He was replaced by Romain Tuafifinoa (48th), whose intensity made an impact at the end of the match.

Owiny Atunio (3). He showed his toughness against the All Blacks. Especially in the fight where he subjected De Groot to torture on several occasions (19, 28). His strength was also useful when it came to defending on the goal line. He was replaced by Dorian Daghiri (53). The Toulouse man got stuck in the house and got his hands dirty.

Julien Marchand (unrated). He was replaced very early by Peato Mauvaka (12). Read the opposite.

Reda Wardi (3). On loan at half-time, somewhat annoyed by the players' pace at the ferns and missed tackles, despite a huge stop against Jordan in New Zealand's most notable match (38), he got things back on track when the team returned to the dressing rooms. More active, he allowed the Blues to take the lead before making way for Jean-Baptiste Gros (53), whose defensive contribution was valuable in silencing the New Zealanders.