The curse goes on, but it has never looked so fragile. Without their Top 14 finalists, France lost by a whisker to New Zealand (34-32) in Christchurch on Saturday, in the opening match of the first Nations Championship in history. Still without a win on New Zealand soil since 2009, they leave with two bonus points, attacking and losing.

Penaud fires France up, Love gets away with one

Damian Penaud’s return took no time at all to tell. From the first attacking play, put into space by Matthieu Jalibert, the wing scored after two minutes (7-0). Straight afterwards came the game’s first turning point: a high tackle by Ruben Love on Max Spring, shoulder to head, with the France full-back leaving the field for a head injury assessment. English referee Luke Pearce judged Peter Lakai’s initial tackle sufficient mitigation: only a yellow card for the New Zealand fly-half, who would go on to weigh heavily on the match.

A breathless first half

The All Blacks responded through Will Jordan (8th minute), then Peter Lakai after a stunning passing move (21st). Maxime Lucu kept his side in front off the tee (13-12, 30th), before a one-sided closing ten minutes: starved of the ball, France conceded a try to Cam Roigard on the hooter (19-13 at the break).

Roigard and Jordan make the difference

France’s response after the interval was immediate: from a superb Théo Attissogbe pass, Antoine Hastoy put them back in front (20-19, 48th). But on the very next play, the missed tackles were punished and Cam Roigard raced away for his second (26-20, 51st). Will Jordan also grabbed a brace, while at the other end Théo Attissogbe and then Matthieu Jalibert kept the hope alive to the end. France dug in and came back to within two points, without ever managing to overturn an All Blacks side that was more clinical at the key moments (34-32).

The final tally: five New Zealand tries (braces for Jordan and Roigard, plus Lakai) against four for France (Penaud, Hastoy, Attissogbe, Jalibert), and two bonus points, attacking and losing, in the French pocket.

All Blacks win, but without reassurance

For Dave Rennie’s first match in charge of New Zealand, the result was there, the performance less so. The English-language press was not fooled, describing an All Blacks side “pushed to the limit” by a France team “depleted but fearless”. Because opposite them, France lined up without a single Toulouse or Montpellier player, the two Top 14 finalists, and with a heavily rotated Bordeaux core. That this side scored four tries and came within two points of a famous win in Christchurch says a great deal about how much room one team has to grow… and how many questions the other now faces.

Penaud and Bochaton hurt, Australia next

Another shadow over the night: the first half cost two UBB players. Damian Penaud, with a calf problem, gave way to Antoine Hastoy at the break, while Pierre Bochaton, who went off just after the half-hour and was replaced by Mickaël Guillard, has a neck injury and could miss the rest of the tour, Fabien Galthié said in the press conference. Further tests are scheduled in the coming days. Still without a win in New Zealand since 2009, Fabien Galthié’s men have nonetheless opened their Nations Championship with credit. Next up: Australia, on Saturday 11 July in Brisbane, with the Top 14 finalists expected to bolster the squad.