France 27 New Zealand 13
Intense and interesting in equal measure, unflinchingly physical and in the balance for 70 or so minutes until France pulled clear emphatically, the 2023 Rugby World Cup is up and running with an opening night which lived up to its billing.
This French team, four years fully in the making, showed why they will be so difficult to beat, especially in such a volcanic, fully engaged, partisan French crowd on a rousing and stifling Parisian night.
The All Blacks exposed enough chinks to demonstrate that Les Bleus are also beatable, which may well typify this most open of World Cups. But should Ireland emerge from the pool of sharks, either of these two will be a huge obstacle. But on balance France look the bigger one on this evidence.
For about 45 minutes, the All Blacks looking to have the more potent attacking game, until France ratcheted up their physicality and ambition with an irresistible third quarter when their maul and power game also came into its own, and Matthieu Jalibert came to life.
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France had the better kicking game, and the superior scrum where Uini Atonio had Ethan de Groot in trouble, so enabling Thomas Ramos to keep the scoreboard ticking. They also came up with some big defensive plays, but needed to, as the All Blacks – with Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett a real menace – had the better strike plays. They also played with much more width, often exposing a narrowness in the French defence, until it improved after the break. Shaun Edwards would have insisted on that.
France actually led for the first time in nine World Cup meetings at half-time between the two, if only by 9-8, but New Zealand failed to capitalise on 22 missed tackles in that period by the hosts.
The electric atmosphere was quickly deflated by the All Blacks as they stunned the French crowd, Reiko Ioane slicing through inside Gael Fickou’s inside shoulder off the game’s first lineout with a strike play which had Joe Schmidt’s fingerprints all over it. After Aaron Smith’s quick tap, Barrett spotted the plentiful green grass on the edge to float a crosskick from which the dangerous Mark Telea had time to gather on the bounce to score.
Mo’unga missed the touchline conversion and French nerves were swiftly soothed when Julien Marchand typically won a penalty in the jackal for Ramos to make it 5-3.
Alas for the crestfallen Marchand, he limped off soon after, although his replacement Peato Mauvaka, who was sensational, slipped clear off a clever lineout move and when he was blocked by Mo’unga after chipping him, but with no penalty, the din was deafening.
But right on cue, the first, rousing in-play rendition of La Marseillaise coincided with a French scrum penalty which Ramos nailed.
Mo’unga and Ramos, from another scrum penalty on halfway, exchanged further penalties, although Ramos missed from a difficult angle when the seemingly preordained decision to opt for the sticks undid the momentum they then had.
France did explode out of the blocks on the resumption, but Francois Cros conceded a costly penalty for side entry. Off the ensuing lineout near halfway, Ardie Savea, of all people, chipped for Will Jordan to steam on to the ball, and from the recycle, Ioane flung a skip pass to the edge for Mark Talea to score again.
The crowd were in uproar for what they saw as a forward pass, and again when Talea knocked on in attempting an intercept to prevent a try after a stunning Thibaud Flament carry without being penalised, never mind binned.
Damian Penaud was denied in the corner by Mo’unga’s stunning tackle after a wrap and kick pass by Jalibert, but they then veered off script by rolling the dice in going to the corner. The crowd roared in approval. The lineout was stifled but after a few carry-ups, Jalibert switched blind, spotted a mismatch and put Penaud over in the corner.
Ramos converted but missed when France opted for a shot at goal against 14 men, but two more penalties – the second from almost halfway after the French fullback was again taken out by Jordan, made this taut affair a two-score game for the first time.
There was even a joyously acclaimed final flourish when Melvyn Jaminet scored off a favourable bounce from Maxime Lucu’s kick. After this statement opening night, belief will be coursing through French veins now.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 2 mins: Telea try 0-5; 5: Ramos pen 3-5; 20: Ramos pen 6-5; 25: Mo’unga pen 6-8; 29: Ramos pen 9-8; (half-time 9-8); 55: Penaud try, Ramos con 16-13; 65: Ramos pen 19-13; 74: Ramos pen 22-13; 78: Jaminet try 27-13.
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Yoram Moefana, Gabin Villiere; Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont (capt); Reda Wardi, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio; Cameron Woki, Thibaud Flament; Francois Cros, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka for Marchand (12 mins), Romain Taofifenua for Woki (49), Jean-Baptiste Gros for Wardi, Dorian Aldegheri for Atonio (both 53), Arthur Vincent for Moefana (59), Paul Boudehent for Cros (62), Maxime Lucu for Dupont, Melvyn Jaminet for Ramos (both 76).
NEW ZEALAND: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Reiko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Mark Telea; Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala; Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett; Tupou Vaa’i, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Ofa Tu’ungafasi for de Groot, Fletcher Newell for Laulala (both 53 mins), Finlay Christie for Smith, David Havili’I for Lienart-Brown (both 62), Brodie Retallick for Whitelock (68), Leicester Fainga’anuku for Talea (72). Not used: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Luke Jacobson.
Sinbinned: Jordan (58-68 mins).
Referee: J Peyper (South Africa).
