” Come on ! », exclaims the site The Roar, In french in the text. By overthrowing the All Blacks, Friday September 8, during a historic opening match, the XV of France “sent a GREAT message”, enthuses the Australian sports media. With a final score of 27 to 13, not 29, contrary to what some television channels mistakenly displayedthe Blues entered the competition with panache, to the delight of their supporters.
“The Stade de France was vibrating. The Stade de France was shaking. The Stade de France was sweating”, tells the specialized site Rugby Worldwho only has eyes for “one of the favorite sons” of French rugby: Damien Penaud. Because if the performance of the French team “began with a rough and nervous first period leading to a pionate crescendo”, as the British daily writes The Timeswe owe this turnaround to the French winger’s test at the 55e minute. A tipping point that made “roar with pleasure” the Stade de France, delights Rugby World : “The resounding exclamation which followed his attempt gives a very good indication of what the French thought of his performance. He’s one of them, and they love him. They love each of its atoms. »
Boos noticed
At the end of this first evening “stifling” − it was 30°C on the pitch when the match started −, the public at the Stade de France therefore got their money’s worth despite a lackluster opening ceremony, which is far from being unanimous. ” Weird “ according to walesonline, ” confused “ for the Telegram, the show proposed by France, with Jean Dujardin and Adriana Karembeu as headliners, left the foreign press a bit perplexed. In particular the “painful ” who grimaced on the screen at regular intervals.
As for the whistles that greeted President Emmanuel Macron’s speech, they did not escape the international media either. The Times emphasizes that “the French public was much more respectful of the haka than of its own president, who was booed when he arrived on the field”.
Beyond the failures of the ceremony, it was also the poor performance of the All Blacks which caught the attention. In New Zealand, the journalist from stuff Aaron Goile didn’t beat around the bush, writing from the final whistle: “The All Blacks made history, but for the wrong reasons. This is the first time they have lost a group match in the World Cup. »
This defeat, he concedes, should not prevent the New Zealanders “to play the quarter-finals against Ireland, South Africa or Scotland “. But after their “carnage” in a preparation match against South Africa at the end of Augustthe All Blacks have something to worry about.
THE New Zealand Heraldhandsome player, salutes on his side “a brilliant match, brilliantly refereed, which showed a brilliant French team systematically tearing apart the All Blacks, in a performance which should probably make them, already, the favorites to win their home tournament”. The next match of the French XV, against Uruguay, is scheduled for Thursday September 14. And for Roarno doubt : “The party has only just begun” for the French by Antoine Dupont.