All Blacks scrumhalf Cam Roigard has a blinder against France.
Cam Roigard and Will Jordan crossed for two tries apiece as the All Blacks narrowly held on to edge a resilient, under-strength France 34-32 in a breathless thriller in Christchurch on Saturday to kick off the inaugural Nations Championship.
The high-stakes fixture marked the All Blacks' first Test match under the stewardship of new head coach Dave Rennie, who saw Les Bleus push his side to the absolute limit despite the visitors fielding a matchday squad entirely stripped of personnel from domestic heavyweights Toulouse and Montpellier.
Fabien Galthié had his French side firing at a frantic tempo from the opening whistle, playing with immense pace and clinical accuracy in the initial exchanges. Record French try-scorer Damian Penaud extended his international tally to 41 in just the second minute of play, comfortably cantering over the whitewash.
In the chaotic build-up to the score, fullback Max Spring was caught by a high challenge from Ruben Love, earning the rookie fly-half an immediate yellow card and crowning a nightmare opening two minutes for the dawn of the Rennie era.
