 New Zealand lost a Rugby World Cup pool match for the first time ever as France recorded a 27-13 victory over the All Blacks on Friday. The All Blacks, currently ranked fourth in the world below France, are famous for their dominance in the sport but their run of 31 straight wins in the pool stage came to an end in Paris as the 2023 tournament got up and running. Hosts France have ambitions of becoming world champions this year and got off to the perfect start in front of a delighted home crowd as Damian Penaud's try 15 minutes into the second half saw them regain the lead and never let it go. 'It was a massive game for our team today and I am proud to be French tonight,' France number eight Gregory Alldritt told ITV after the match. 'The support was massive and it is just fantastic to get support like this. We are just looking forward to the next game but we said if we lost today it is not the end of the World cup. 'But we are not champion now so we just have to keep working and go step by step.' Former New Zealand fly-half Andrew Mehrtens, though, feels his nation can bounce back and go on to reach this year's final. 'We have seen teams do it before and reach the final having lost, with England in 2007 and France came within a whisker of winning it in 2011 when they lost two pool games,' he told the BBC. 'Of course New Zealanders are going to take any possible consolation out of it but they won't be happy with their second half, so they will look at that performance.' England, meanwhile, get their World Cup campaign underway on Saturday as they take on Argentina.){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
New Zealand lost a Rugby World Cup pool match for the first time ever as France recorded a 27-13 victory over the All Blacks on Friday.
The All Blacks, currently ranked fourth in the world below France, are famous for their dominance in the sport but their run of 31 straight wins in the pool stage came to an end in Paris as the 2023 tournament got up and running.
Hosts France have ambitions of becoming world champions this year and got off to the perfect start in front of a delighted home crowd as Damian Penaud’s try 15 minutes into the second half saw them regain the lead and never let it go.
‘It was a massive game for our team today and I am proud to be French tonight,’ France number eight Gregory Alldritt told ITV after the match.