Live: All Blacks vs France, Rugby World Cup
Welcome to 1News' live coverage of this morning's Rugby World Cup fixture between the All Blacks and France at Stade de France in Paris.
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7:10am: Home field advantage?
As first reported by 1News in June, the All Blacks will wear their black jerseys for tonight's fixture and force hosts France into their white away kits in Paris. It's a strange site but rules are rules with the All Blacks winning the coin toss previously to earn the right.
There was some thoughts that maybe the All Blacks would allow France to wear their blue kits for the fixture as a sign of respect to the tournament hosts, like France did for the 2011 World Cup final in New Zealand, but not today!
The team's are on the pitch for pre-match customs. We're not far off now!
7:00am: Conditions
The opening ceremony of the 2023 Rugby World Cup at Stade de France ahead of the All Blacks v France Test. (Source: Photosport)
It's a warm evening in Paris but a clear one - and there aren't many black jerseys in sight among the 82,000 attending! 29 degrees in Paris and a bit of humidity but otherwise, great conditions for an opening match.
We're around 15 minutes away from kickoff.
6:50am: Build-up to a blockbuster
It's been an intense week heading into this morning's curtain-raiser with some great insights from both the All Blacks and our coverage team in France and back here. Missed anything? Don't worry, we have you covered:
- All Blacks: Five keys to victory in World Cup opener
- Watch: Former coaches weigh in on crucial RWC curtain-raiser
- Analysis: Pressure builds on France to deliver World Cup glory
- Scotty Stevenson: Why the All Blacks have bet on experience
- All Blacks turn to Kiwi ref as they work on World Cup discipline
- Papali'i and Telea embracing emotions ahead of RWC debuts
6:40am: A truly French welcome
Performers during the Opening Ceremony. (Source: Photosport)
Amid the chaos in the changing rooms, France has welcomed everyone with a truly colourful and spectacular opening ceremony.
French cuisine was a big theme of the ceremony with famous chefs and foods featuring throughout and, of course, the Eiffel Tower made an appearance.
Wrapping it all up was a fireworks display that delighted the crowd - the Rugby World Cup has officially opened!
6:30am: Sam Cane is OUT
Sam Cane walks off the pitch in Melbourne after suffering concussion symptoms. (Source: Photosport)
Bit of breaking news to start your morning. Sam Cane is out of this morning's fixture and Ian Foster has made some big adjustments to address it!
Dalton Papali'i has been shift to No.7 with Tupou Vaa'i promoted to start at blindside flanker and Brodie Retallick - who was expected to miss the early stages of this World Cup with a knee injury sustained against the Wallabies last month - has been brought on to the bench. Ardie Savea will take over captaincy.
It's understood back spasms are the cause for Cane's departure. It means the All Blacks squad now looks like this:
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea [c], 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Tupou Vaa'i 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Brodie Retallick, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 David Havili, 23 Leicester Fainga’nuku
Have the mind games started already?!?
6:25am: Preview
Aaron Smith looks to offload against France in 2021. (Source: Photosport)
It is debatable who is under the most pressure between France and New Zealand this morning in their monumental Rugby World Cup opener that does and does not matter.
Coach Fabien Galthie and Co. have pulled off a buildup designed to peak France at their home World Cup. The team's first World Cup cycle of the 2020s contrasts starkly with the 2010s when France wallowed in putrid mediocrity. The renaissance has collected 31 wins from 39 Tests, trophies, awards, milestones and adoring support in droves for Les Tricolores.
Every home game since November 2021 has been won to also skyrocket expectations and excitement. France is, at this moment, perfectly placed to finally win the World Cup at a 10th attempt.
The pressure on France is to deliver.
No team has managed expectations better or longer than New Zealand. The All Blacks have lived with outsized expectations of victory from within and without for more than 120 years. And they have usually delivered.
No All Blacks defeat is brushed off or forgotten, and they are fresh off their largest ever loss by margin, a 28-point difference to South Africa two weeks ago. That battering shattered a confidence forged by a brilliantly won Rugby Championship, where the All Blacks' improvements in physicality and discipline were blown away at Twickenham.
The pressure on New Zealand is to respond.
While the winner this morning in Paris will be lauded, the loser shouldn't feel disheartened. It's just the first step. France and New Zealand should get past poolmates Italy, Uruguay and Namibia to reach the quarterfinals, where lurking for them will probably be No. 1-ranked Ireland or No. 2 South Africa. Between a rock and a hard place is an understatement. The Les Tricolores-All Blacks winner will probably meet the Ireland-South Africa loser, and vice versa.
New Zealand has a proud record at the World Cup of being the only team to have never lost a pool game. The record is 31-0, including France in 2011.
But opponents smell blood in the water around these All Blacks after some notable firsts in this World Cup cycle: First to lose to Argentina, first to lose three Tests in a row in 24 years; first to lose a home series in 28 years; and first to lose to France in Paris since 1973.
That result in 2021 was No. 3 in France’s ongoing 14-win home streak. With nine players meeting New Zealand for the first time, France won 40-25. It was overpowering up front and daring from the back.
“There's still a knot in our gut from the last time we were here,” All Blacks assistant coach Scott McLeod said this week. “That hurt.”
New Zealand has 12 survivors from the match. France has 15. But neither are at full strength.
France was without key back Romain Ntamack and forward Paul Willemse for the tournament. Cyril Baille, Anthony Jelonch and midfielder Jonathan Danty were nursing injuries. New Zealand's wounded included first-choice players Tyrel Lomax, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell, and back Jordie Barrett, while winger Emoni Narawa was departing with a back issue.
But there were still plenty of tasty matchups: Julien Marchand vs. Codie Taylor and Gregory Alldritt vs. Ardie Savea up front; Antoine Dupont vs. Aaron Smith, Matthieu Jalibert vs. Richie Mo'unga, Damian Penaud and Gabin Villiere vs. Will Jordan and Mark Telea.
“This game,” Smith said, "is not about me against him, it is about me doing my role for the team. Defensively, we will have a big eye on Dupont and what he can do, and shutting it down, but that's as a collective. They have got plenty of players who are very dangerous.”
There were gasps in the Paris room in December 2020 when France and New Zealand were drawn in the same pool. Theirs is a matchup dripping with history. New Zealand has beaten France in two World Cup finals. France's only two wins gave New Zealand its two worst World Cup results. New Zealand's 62-13 quarterfinal win in 2015 is France's worst result ever. This will be their tournament-leading eighth matchup.
France President Emmanuel Macron huddled with the players and staff on a field this week. Not to put pressure on the team, Macron said while doing exactly that, but France had an incredible opportunity hosting the World Cup. Duties were attached, he added. “You are at home with 67 million French people behind you.”
All Blacks coach Ian Foster, part of two World Cups previously, wondered if the French will be able to handle the hype around them.
“Part of World Cups is the mental side, about having the confidence and courage to play the game you need to play at the right time,” he said. “It is only when it all starts will we see where people are at.”
6:20am: Teams
Scott Barrett celebrates the All Blacks' victory over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with teammate Richie Mo'unga. (Source: Getty)
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Gabin Villiere, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 8 Gregory Alldritt, 7 Charles Ollivon, 6 Francois Cros, 5 Thibaud Flament, 4 Cameron Woki, 3 Uini Atonio, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Reda Wardi
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Paul Boudehent, 21 Maxime Lucu 22 Arthur Vincent, 23 Melvyn Jaminet
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Dalton Papali’i, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 David Havili, 23 Leicester Fainga’nuku
