How it unfolded
New Zealand, dominant throughout the tournament, pulled ahead 24-10 early in the second half on a second try from Jonah Lomu, and the mood at Twickenham tilted toward a New Zealand final. Then, over roughly 25 minutes, France scored 33 unanswered points. It began with fly-half Christophe Lamaison, who landed two drop goals in quick succession and then two more penalties, closing the gap to single digits almost instantly. Christophe Dominici then finished off a Lamaison kick in the corner, Richard Dourthe added another try off a kick-pass, and Philippe Bernat-Salles capitalized on a New Zealand turnover to seal it. Lamaison finished the day with 28 points on his own. New Zealand added a late try from Jeff Wilson to reach 31, but still fell 43-31. New Zealand then lost the third-place playoff to South Africa as well, finishing the tournament fourth, while France lost the final 12-35 to Australia.
Why it still matters
Widely rated the greatest comeback in rugby history, and a match that embodies French rugby's unpredictability. At the same time, this defeat became a recurring theme for New Zealand — entering tournaments as favorites and collapsing — that haunted the All Blacks until they finally won again on home soil in 2011, 24 years after their first title.