New Zealand opened the Nations Championship with a tense 34-32 victory over France in Christchurch. Wing Will Jordan struck early, scoring in the seventh minute, and added a second try in the 71st to push the All Blacks ahead, keeping fans on edge. His second effort lifted him to 47 career tries, just two shy of Doug Howlett’s New Zealand record.

Scrum-half Cam Roigard contributed a brace, while Peter Lakai added a try, helping the hosts maintain a perfect home record against France since 2009. New coach Dave Rennie earned a winning debut, though the All Blacks’ defence drew criticism after a sin‑bin for Ruben Love and a late French surge that saw Matthieu Jalibert score with two minutes remaining. The match featured 13 penalties in total.

France, missing star Antoine Dupont and Louis Bielle‑Biarrey, pressed hard; Theo Attissogbe and Hastoy each crossed the line, and skipper Maxime Lucu added two penalties and conversions. Captain Ardie Savea praised his side’s resilience but warned of defensive work needed. Both sides displayed attacking flair. The win sets the All Blacks up for a home clash with Italy, while France travel to face Australia.