What makes France Vs New Zealand the best RWC opener ever?

Posted by Xchange Tickets on February 27th, 2023

The Stadium de France will host a match between two world's top squads. Fans' eyes will be drawn to what has grown to be one of the most alluring matchups in international rugby when France competes with the All Blacks on Friday, September 8, in the inaugural game of the Rugby World Cup 2023. To become RWC 2023 eye witness you can buy France Vs New Zealand Tickets from our online platform.

All rugby fans and sports admirers in particular have been looking forward to this inaugural match of the Rugby World Cup 2023 involving France and New Zealand at Stadium de France ever since the pool stage draw. What excellent way to begin this competition than with a contest between the New Zealand team, who've previously achieved the Webb Ellis Trophy 3 times, and the French team, at home?

While New Zealand has generally dominated the match, taking 48 of the 62 games between the teams, France has recorded two memorable victories in Rugby World Cups. At the 1999 and 2007 championships, they eliminated the 3-time reigning champions in the semifinal and quarterfinal rounds, respectively.

Les bleus 1194 victory

The previous match between the squads took place in the autumn of 2021 when France tried to run away 40-25 winners to snap a 14-match losing streak towards their southern hemisphere opponents dating back to 2009.

Les Bleus have only ever defeated the All Blacks in test matches, and in 1994, with a 2-0 victory, they received recognition by becoming the first team from the northern hemisphere to do so. The All Blacks, however, would prevail by a slim 8-7 margin to win the Webb Ellis Trophy for a 2nd time when the two teams faced off in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.

Form of France and New Zealand

There are few greater beginning matches for Rugby World Cups than this one. In 2022, France played a flawless Test season, dominating all 10 of their games and capturing the Grand Slam of the Six Nations in the process. New Zealand won the 2022 Rugby Championship despite having a less-than-stellar year in terms of results the previous year.

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They also went undefeated in the Autumn Nations Series, drew 25-25 with England, and dominated matches over Wales, Scotland, and Japan. Although Ireland overcame the French 32-19 in Dublin during Round 2 of the Six Nations a few weeks ago, the French are still ranked second in the world and have not stopped playing exhilarating rugby.

So they are unlikely to succeed in recreating their Grand Slam accomplishment this year. The All Blacks will be aiming to accomplish more than their quarterfinal departure in the 2007 season of the world championship, the last time it was decided to hold in France, and Ian Foster's future as team manager of the national side is still in doubt with Crusaders pivot Scott 'Razor' Robertson waiting for an opportunity.

Rugby World Cup 2007

France served as the hosting country for the sixth Rugby World Cup, which featured two matches in Scotland and four in Wales. In the championship game, South Africa trounced the reigning champions, England, 15-9, although this was merely the subject of the tale.

In the quarterfinal matchup between France and New Zealand, Les Bleus prevailed 20-18 despite several contentious rulings by the officials, including a French attempt that remained although what seemed to be a forward throw in the build-up.

In a significant Rugby World Cup defeat, France had lost to Argentina 17-12 in the tournament's inaugural game at Parc de Princes. Six weeks later, in the bronze-medal game. The Pumas would come back to torment the French, taking 3rd spot from the hosts with a comfortable 34-10 victory thanks to an impressive 21-point effort by inside centre Felipe Contepomi, which featured two tries.

To start the 2023 season with a victory over their competitors from the southern hemisphere, France will be seeking to put behind them the memories of their disastrous first-match performance in 2007.

Previous France and All blacks encounter

Since more than a century ago, France and New Zealand's All Blacks national rugby union squads have faced off against one another. The first match, which was also France's first Test, was held in Paris in January 1906 and was scored by New Zealand 38-8. It was part of the legendary 1905–1906 All Blacks tour of Europe and North America.

The first time France defeated New Zealand 3-0 came in their third match, in 1954. Before any of the Home Nations, France visited New Zealand for the first time in 1961, and the All Blacks dominated all three Test matches. In 1977, the All Blacks made their maiden trial run against France and triumphed in one of the two trials.

The All Blacks were first defeated by France on July 14th, 1979 in New Zealand. In 1994, France won their first series in New Zealand by winning both Test matches. The Dave Gallaher Award has been disputed by the two groups since 2000. Seven matches have taken place in the country's Rugby World Cup history, which is the most of any pair of countries together.

 In 1987 and 2011, they took part in two championship games. Ultimately, the All Blacks defeated France in 13 Tests to 13, with one match ending in a tie. The All Blacks' 61-10 triumph in Wellington's Westpac Stadium in 2007 was the biggest achievement percentage in a test series between the nations.

Andrew Mehrtens record

Andrew Mehrtens has 92-lifetime points, which is the highest by any player on either squad, and he also has 29 points in a single game. France has the most victories to date versus the All Blacks of any rival from the Northern Hemisphere, regardless of the fact that New Zealand has a substantially better victory record in this matchup.

Although France is sometimes referred to as New Zealand's "bogey" team because of their erratic performance in routine test series, they have shown to be formidable rivals in the Rugby World Cup's elimination round. Defeats against France in 1999 and 2007 ended the All Blacks Rugby World Cup seasons, while a tight 8-7 victory in the championship game in 2011 almost led to another upset.

By November 2021, 62 Test matches have been played between France and New Zealand. The All Blacks have 48 victories, France 13, and one tie. Only four games have taken place at neutral sites: the 1999 Rugby World Cup semifinal at Twickenham in London, the 2003 World Cup third/fourth play-off game at Stadium Australia in Sydney, and the 2007 RWC and 2015 Rugby World Cup quarterfinals at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Even though France dominated two of the four games, New Zealand scored significantly more goals than France including in France and New Zealand as well as in neutral sites.  In comparison to any other couple of nations, New Zealand and France have contested seven Rugby World Cup fixtures together, including six postseason games. New Zealand has dominated five, and France has earned two.  

New Zealand was eliminated from the competitions in 1999 and 2007 at the quarterfinal and semifinal stages, respectively, thanks to France's victories. Both of New Zealand's first two profitable seasons (1987 and 2011) came to a close with victories over France at Eden Park. Further triumphs for New Zealand came in a pool game in 2011, also at Eden Park, and the third-place playoff in 2003.

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