Rugby World Cups are not won or lost on the tournament’s first night but the opening fixture can often set the tone. On a sweltering evening in Saint-Denis, this was a game played in the most electric of sporting atmospheres, an early clue as to what awaits in the knockout stages. If crowds are half as enthusiastic as this for the entire competition, it is going to be a truly thunderous event.
From the giant golden Eiffel Tower on the pitch to the euphoric scenes inside and outside the stadium before kick-off, the whole occasion was a further illustration of just how much support the hosts will enjoy in the weeks ahead. The crowd did boo the French president, Emmanuel Macron, but their booming rendition of La Marseillaise was completely off the scale.
And the game? France will be relieved to claim the initial spoils but, despite the comfortable-looking scoreline, will know they can perform appreciably better. This is going to be the most competitive World Cup of them all and here, for the most part, was early confirmation. While France emerged triumphant through second-half tries from Damian Penaud and replacement Melvyn Jaminet plus the prolific boot of Thomas Ramos, it took a long time for them to break down a spirited All Black side.
With temperatures close to 30C throughout and Will Jordan sent to the sin-bin at a crucial moment for a misjudged aerial challenge, it was also an uncomfortable night for the visiting team by the end. Ramos finished with 17 points from five penalties and a conversion, with New Zealand’s rangy winger Mark Telea contributing a well-taken try in each half.
It was not enough to prevent New Zealand from suffering the first World Cup pool defeat in their history, ending a run of 31 successive wins and involving an even wider margin than their fabled 43-31 semi-final loss to France at Twickenham way back in 1999. These days, though, it would increasingly appear that Les Bleus have their number. “Playing France here in the opening game was pretty special but they were just a bit too good,” said the head coach, Ian Foster.
If it did not help that New Zealand’s captain, Sam Cane, was a late injury withdrawal with a bad back, prompting a reshuffle in the back row, New Zealand’s attacking fluency was ultimately insufficient to trump France’s long kicking game and ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Even without the injured Romain Ntamack, Paul Willemse, Cyril Baille and Jonathan Danty, they also still had the masterful Antoine Dupont, so relaxed before kick-off there was footage on French television of him snoozing on the team bus as it headed to the ground.
Maybe the extreme heat made him drowsy. It was certainly hot enough to be concerned for the wellbeing of the jacketed extras and acrobats involved in an energetic opening ceremony. World Rugby had officially confirmed an extra permitted water break for the players per half, with additional water and cold towels also provided. You don’t need too many of the latter in New Zealand’s South Island at this time of year.
Initially, though, it was the All Blacks who looked the sharper, having delivered the throat-slitting version of the haka they reserve for special occasions. With advantage already being played, Beauden Barrett’s cross-kick found grass wide on the left and Telea had enough time to collect and touch down. France responded swiftly with a first Ramos penalty but a forward pass here and a knock-on there slowed the tempo of the game, possibly to the relief of one or two bigger forwards.
While the Gallic script also did not involve the home hooker Julien Marchand leaving the fray after just 12 minutes, France went ahead for the first time at the end of the first quarter when Ramos knocked over a second nerveless penalty. Their advantage did not last long, with Richie Mo’unga landing a straightforward penalty after a spell of All Black pressure.
France, though, had a couple of significant weapons available. Ramos’s boot was one of them, the full-back knocking over a third sweet penalty from the halfway line, and there were early signs of pressure on the All Black front row. While Ramos did miss an angled chance to extend the half-time margin, Les Bleus looked pretty assured with and without the ball.
They also made an ominously strong start to the second half but it was the All Blacks who struck first, courtesy of an Ardie Savea chip into space and a huge pass from Rieko Ioane which allowed Telea to touch down his second try. Whether or not the ball drifted forward, as many in the crowd felt it had, the officials were content to let it go.
There was a further groan when a diving Penaud was denied in the right corner by a fine cover tackle from Mo’unga but it was merely a temporary reprieve. Soon enough Matthieu Jalibert danced into half a metre of space and released his winger to score the most popular of tries. Ramos converted from the touchline and Jordan’s yellow card further undermined New Zealand’s cause. “We lost the battle tonight but we’ve still got a will to win,” insisted Savea, their stand-in captain.
Had one or two decisions not gone the other way, the margin might already have widened before Jaminet nipped over with two minutes remaining. There was some confusion about his subsequent conversion attempt, with the touch judges in disagreement before the referee gave it the thumbs down.
Not a classic contest, then, but still a memorable occasion and, as such, a promising appetiser for the rest of the tournament. This weekend should be a cracker and, as and when the temperature drops slightly, teams will be further encouraged to try to play. Whatever fate ultimately awaits these two teams, they already know how testing the next seven weeks will be.
