All Blacks Beat France as Nations Championship Opens With Nine-Try Thriller

What happened:

Watch the highlights:

New Zealand beat France in Christchurch as the inaugural Nations Championship began with a high-scoring opener. BBC Sport reports that Will Jordan scored twice for the All Blacks in a captivating nine-try thriller, making New Zealand the first side to put down a marker in the new competition.

Why it matters:

Opening matches in new tournament formats carry more than table value. They set the tone for what the competition feels like: intensity, stakes, rhythm, and whether elite teams treat it as a genuine prize. A New Zealand win over France, framed by the source as a nine-try thriller, gives the Nations Championship an immediate headline result and a match profile that is easy to understand: major teams, attacking output, and a decisive home victory.

New Zealand read:

The clean confirmed takeaway for the All Blacks is that they started fast in tournament terms. Beating France in Christchurch gives New Zealand early leverage, and Jordan's two tries provide a focal point without needing to overstate the rest of the performance. In a competition where every fixture can shape perception quickly, opening with a win against a heavyweight opponent is a strong competitive signal.

France read:

France leave the opener with a defeat, but the nine-try description also suggests the match had enough scoring volatility to avoid a simple verdict from the limited source facts. The follow-up question is whether France were beaten by moments, structure, finishing, or defensive lapses. Those details are not in the supplied summary, so the responsible read is narrower: they lost a demanding away opener in a match that produced tries from both the contest and the occasion.

Tournament impact:

The All Blacks now own the first meaningful momentum of the inaugural Nations Championship. That matters because early fixtures can influence selection confidence and public expectations before the standings become clear. France, meanwhile, face the familiar tournament problem of recovery: a first-match defeat does not define a campaign, but it reduces margin for error and forces the next result to carry more pressure.

What to watch:

Jordan's role will be one immediate storyline after a two-try start. The broader one is whether this opener becomes the benchmark for the competition's pace and scoring profile. If the Nations Championship keeps producing matches with this level of attacking output, table position may come down not only to wins, but also to who can collect bonus points and manage defensive damage.

Confidence:

Confirmed by BBC Sport: New Zealand beat France in Christchurch, Will Jordan scored twice, and the match opened the inaugural Nations Championship as a nine-try thriller. The final score, full scoring sequence, injuries, disciplinary details, and standings implications beyond the opening win are not included in the supplied source facts.