Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020

New Zealand vs France rugby delivered a gripping start to the inaugural Nations Championship, with New Zealand edging France 34-32 at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.

It was Dave Rennie’s first Test as New Zealand head coach, and his side survived a brave French challenge after scoring five tries to four in a match that stayed alive until the final seconds.

The result came before another major tournament statement, with Japan beating Italy in their Nations Championship opener in Tokyo.

New Zealand Survive Early French Shock

France stunned the home crowd after only two minutes when Damien Penaud crossed for the opening try.

New Zealand were soon reduced to 14 men after Ruben Love was shown a yellow card for a dangerous high tackle, but they responded through Will Jordan after Ardie Savea won a ruck penalty near the French line.

Maxime Lucu’s penalty pushed France back ahead, before Peter Lakai finished a sweeping move that began from a scrum inside New Zealand’s own 22.

Roigard And Jordan Lead The Attack

Cam Roigard gave New Zealand a halftime lift when his shoulder fake created space from a five-metre lineout.

France struck first after the break through Antoine Hastoy, who was freed by smart close passing from Matthieu Jalibert and Theo Attisogbe.

Roigard answered with his second try, before Attisogbe hit back from Fabien Brau-Boirie’s pass to cut New Zealand’s lead to 26-25.

Jordan’s second try in the 70th minute looked to give New Zealand control at 34-25, but Jalibert’s late score made the finish tense.

Captains Reflect On Tight Contest

"We played the best team in the world and the difference was only little details," France captain Maxime Lucu said. "The score was 34-32, it's nothing really. It's disappointing but we worked really hard."

"It was tough. The French were quality tonight," New Zealand captain Ardie Savea said. "When we had the ball in our hands we were dangerous but there's a lot to work on in our defence."

Official rugby updates are available through France.

What The Result Means

New Zealand extended their home winning run against France to 17 years, but the performance showed work remains in defence and discipline.

For Rennie, it was a winning start built on attacking ambition, pressure at the