New Zealand opened the inaugural Nations Championship with a thrilling 34-32 victory over France in Christchurch on Saturday, with scrum-half Cam Roigard and winger Will Jordan each scoring two tries. The match marked the All Blacks' first Test under new head coach Dave Rennie, who took over from Scott Robertson in January.
Rennie's Optimistic Approach Yields Early Success
Rennie had promised an optimistic, attacking style of rugby, emphasizing quick ball and minimal kicking. "I love the effort. I love the optimism," said the 62-year-old, who previously coached Kobe in Japan. "We were able to play with a really high tempo, a lot of quick ball, almost 85%, which is just outrageous. We did a lot of really good things with the ball." However, he acknowledged defensive lapses and errors that need addressing. "I can't fault the effort, I love the mindset, but we've got to be a lot more accurate," Rennie added.
France's Fast Start Tests All Blacks
France, despite missing players from top clubs Toulouse and Montpellier, began at a frantic pace. Damian Penaud, France's record try scorer, crossed the line in the second minute to take his tally to 41. In the buildup, full-back Max Spring was hit high by Ruben Love, earning Love a yellow card. A man down, New Zealand struck back in the eighth minute through Jordan after captain Ardie Savea won a turnover in a good position.
New Zealand's running game came alive after Love's return, with Love and Damian McKenzie making incursions into French territory. Peter Lakai gave New Zealand the lead in the 21st minute after a McKenzie break and a fine inside pass from Caleb Clarke. Two penalties from Maxime Lucu nudged France ahead, but a Roigard snipe from the back of a ruck gave New Zealand a 19-13 lead at halftime.
Second-Half Drama Ensues
France started the second half faster, with Antoine Hastoy scoring in the 47th minute after a basketball-style pass from Theo Attissogbe over three defenders. Roigard responded with his second try moments later, but Attissogbe struck for France after a Fabien Brau-Boirie try was disallowed for a knock-on. Jordan then scored to go joint second all-time for the All Blacks on 47 Test tries, giving New Zealand a 34-25 lead with nine minutes remaining.
France fought back again, with Matthieu Jalibert bundling over the line with two minutes left. However, New Zealand's forwards retained possession from the restart to see out the clock and secure the win. France coach Fabien Galthié saw his side play with great pace and accuracy, but ultimately fell short.
