France embarked on their quest for a maiden Rugby World Cup triumph with a resounding victory over three-time champions New Zealand, igniting fervor among the passionate Stade de France faithful in Paris.
The hosts found themselves in a dogged battle deep into the final quarter, courtesy of New Zealand’s wing sensation, Mark Telea, who unleashed tries in the opening moments of both halves, momentarily dampening the opening-day festivities.
Nonetheless, the indomitable Thomas Ramos, with his precise kicking prowess, and a meticulously orchestrated try by Damian Penaud, propelled France ahead, ultimately prevailing over the resilient, albeit diminishing, All Blacks.
New Zealand, renowned for their impeccable record of 31 consecutive victories in pool-stage matches at World Cups, now face a sobering reality check, but they know all too well that their campaign remains alive.
In the following sections, we dissect the performances of three New Zealand players who faced adversity during the contest.
#1. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
Rugby Pass 2/10: “A bit of a shocker from the New Zealand wunderkind. Spent much of the game chasing high balls. Pinged for running under France fullback Thomas Ramos twice, with the second occurrence seeing him sent to the bin in the 58th minute.”
Stuff 3/10: “Conceded a yellow card in the second half as the All Blacks’ risky strategy of aggressively contesting high kicks backfired. Had already been penalised in the first half for a similar offence but ignored the warning sign – and it really hurt the All Blacks on the scoreboard. “
Planet Rugby 4/10: “he exciting winger tried to impose himself on the game and got it all wrong as he took Thomas Ramos out in the air twice.”