The opening match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup offered a great victory for the host France and the first defeat in the history of New Zealand in its opening match of a universal tournament.
Never before have the All Blacks, a team that has the most global titles along with South Africa with three, begun their journey in a World Cup with an adverse result. Even their debuts are counted as triumphs with extensive results.
In 1987 the Oceanic team defeated Italy 70-6, in 1991 England 18-12, the closest result in 1995 Ireland 43-19, in 1999 Tonga 45-9, in 2003 Italy 70 -7, in 2007 to Italy by 76-14, in 2011 to Tonga by 41-10, in 2015 to Argentina by 26-16 and in 2019 to South Africa by 23-13.
Even so, as the All Blacks coach, Ian Foster, assured, nothing has changed for his team after losing 13-27 in Saint Denis. From now on they are conspiring to fulfill the predictions in their next matches against Namibia, Italy and Uruguay and achieve one of the first two places to reach the quarterfinals.
"I don't think we have to rebuild anything. In past tournaments we won all the group games and then the tournament was not won, and the objective is to win this tournament," said Foster, who valued the French team, while also He admitted a certain frustration over the defeat and the need to correct some issues.
The first two in group A, which theoretically will be France and New Zealand, will meet in the quarterfinals with those in group B, on paper South Africa, defending champion, and Ireland.
