France beat All Blacks in World Cup opener

Share to Google Classroom

In a thrilling opening match of the Rugby World Cup 2023, host nation France secured a hard-fought victory over three-time champions New Zealand.

The match was closely contested, with New Zealand’s Mark Telea scoring tries early in both halves, posing a significant threat to France’s opening-day celebrations. However, France managed to stay ahead thanks to the relentless accuracy of Thomas Ramos’ kicking and a well-executed try by Damian Penaud.

A crucial penalty by Ramos in the 73rd minute extended France’s lead beyond seven points, providing some comfort to the home fans. France sealed the victory with a try in the final minutes as Melvyn Jaminet collected a clever chip from fellow substitute Maxime Lucu.

France’s next match in Pool A will be against Uruguay, followed by fixtures against Namibia and Italy. Winning all three matches would secure them the top spot in the pool and set up a quarter-final clash with the runners-up from Pool B.

For New Zealand, who had the record of winning all 31 of their previous pool-stage games at World Cups, the loss serves as a reminder that early setbacks do not necessarily dictate the tournament’s outcome. In 2019, they faced a similar situation when they lost their opening game to South Africa, only to see the Springboks ultimately win the Webb Ellis Trophy.

1
A cat from Dallas, Texas, has made history by jumping...
1
An Iranian man has broken a world record by balancing...
1
New York City is getting ready to celebrate one of...

World & National News

1
Billie Eilish was the big winner at this year’s American...
1
A rare native plant called Te pua o te Rēinga,...
1
Next week in Nelson, tap water from towns and cities...
1
Christchurch musician Holly Arrowsmith has won the 2025 APRA Best...
1
For the first time in 20 years, Rotorua has officially...