New Zealand squared their series with France with a narrow victory in Wellington this morning.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry spoke all week about the lessons that needed to be learned from their 27-22 defeat at Carisbrook a week ago and it was apparent from the start there would be no repeat.
Having been out-muscled and out-played in Dunedin, the New Zealanders came out with far greater intensity, physicality and urgency at a cold, wet and windy Westpac Stadium.
A Ma'a Nonu try midway through the first half opened the scoring before Stephen Donald finally found his kicking boots to slot a penalty for an 8-0 lead at the break.
The French reply was swift after the restart with wing Cedric Heymans' solo effort and Julien Dupuy's conversion getting the visitors back in the game.
But another Donald penalty and one from substitute Luke McAlister edged the All Blacks further ahead before a late three-pointer from Dimitri Yachvili kept things interesting.
New Zealand's performance was a far cry from last weekend's lacklustre effort.
The forwards drove hard into the rucks, gaining some good turnover ball, the defence was far more solid and did not allow the French to gain much in the way of forward momentum.
Although there were still some issues at scrum time with both front rows coming up, Jimmy Cowan showed plenty of guile to steal a couple off the back of the French scrum when Dupuy was caught napping.
Keven Mealamu and Neemia Tialata were far more prominent with the ball in hand and greater cohesion from the loose forwards meant France never enjoyed anywhere near the successes they did at the breakdown at Carisbrook.
Donald, though, had a very mixed night in what were difficult conditions, missing three straightforward shots at goal and his kicking from hand was also wayward, with grubbers and chips over the top often easily read by the French.
Cowan and Piri Weepu both used the box kick well, a good tactic in the rotten conditions, and right at the death only an unkind bounce from a chip over the top by Weepu denied Joe Rokocoko a try.
The New Zealanders contested the line-outs well and the French were never able to get their driving maul going, an area that had worked so well in Dunedin.
Early penalty and drop-goal misses from Donald, Francois Trinh-Duc and Dupuy meant the match remained scoreless until the 26th minute.
The breakthrough finally came when Nonu went over in the left corner after a great burst off the back of the scrum by Kieran Read, who fed Jerome Kaino, sparked the move.
Mealamu featured twice before Tanerau Latimer stayed on his feet long enough to feed Rokocoko, who popped up the pass to Nonu and the big centre raced over. Donald could not add the extras, though.
Three minutes later superb defence from Maxime Medard stopped Cory Jane from getting New Zealand's second try after a lovely wraparound move between Latimer and Donald.
Dupuy then missed a penalty for the French before Donald finally got one between the uprights to give the All Blacks an 8-0 lead at the break.
A magic solo effort from Heymans got the French back in touch. The left wing danced his way down the touchline, beating Jane, Mils Muliaina and Read on his way to the try line. Dupuy kicked the conversion to get within a point of the home side.
Heymans had another dab down the touchline a few minutes later but Muliaina was equal to the task, bundling him into touch, and it was the All Blacks who went close through Mealamu and Tialata at the other end, the pair only denied by some staunch French defence right on the line.
A Donald penalty stretched the home side's lead to 11-7 and then some superb covering defence from Brad Thorn stopped the French taking the lead as Vincent Clerc lost the ball in the tackle from the big lock.
Then, to rub salt into French wounds, substitute McAlister added another three-pointer after coming on for Donald at fly-half to extend the gap to seven points.
But a penalty from Yachvili almost immediately reduced the deficit to 14-10 to set up a tense final 10 minutes.
