France 9-8 New Zealand – Rugby World Cup LIVE: Les Bleus and All Blacks trade penalties, with Richie Mo’unga and Thomas Ramos keeping the scoreboard ticking after Mark Telea’s early try

Fantastic challenge from Scott Barrett and New Zealand eventually go for touch after the teams exchange kicks.

A really good chance for New Zealand then with several men involved as the All Blacks make ground… But France defend well and the ball goes out.

Ramos kicks it out for half time and that’s all for the first half.

Aggression from New Zealand and they win it high up the pitch.

A great recovery though and the crowd come alive after a great turnover and run from Penaud and the line out goes France’s way.

Mauvaka carries it a fair way but New Zealand are back in their shape.

France win the penalty and we know how this ends. Could have gone either way, with Telea seemingly trying to lift the ball.

Well! Ramos misses on this occasion!

Offside is called from the restart, something that they are trying to improve on at this tournament.

France hold their own in the scrum and it’s a foul by De Groot for the second time as the hosts come out on top.

Rmos will go for the kick… Very nice!

More from Nik at the ground: ‘Ominous signs as France had taken the lead despite a very sloppy start.

‘The missed kicks to touch are a sign of early nerves and so far they’ve missed 13 tackles compared to just one from New Zealand.’

Time for a water break….

‘First water break after 25 minutes. It’s needed. So humid in here.

‘Bumped into Serge Betsen earlier and he looked like he’d just come out of a wet t-shirt competition in his white shirt. All Blacks players putting ice packs around their necks to cool down.’

An error from Ramos at the back as he clumsily knocks forward and it’s a great chance for New Zealand.

They madke it into the 22 and they are so, so close.

Claims from both sides but the referee allows play to flow.

It’s a penalty – some repieve for France.

Mo’unga kicks over to give the All Blacks the lead again.

Ramos is going to have a go here from a penalty and he scores again!

42 out of 49 for him this year. France lead.

Mauvaka tries to catch New Zealand napping but his kick is off.

Crowd thing he’s tackled when the ball is gone as he ends up on the floor, but nothing is going.

The game is finely balanced now with the ball in the middle of the park

A change here with Marchand having to go off injured. Mauvaka is on.

A big loss for France with the hooker going off, but not a bad replacement.

A France penalty helps the hosts clear, but the kick is wild.

We have our first scrum of the game and there are stern instructions from the referee.

France come out on top but Smith smothers Dupont and New Zealand win it back.

It’s definitely slowed down since the start. But it couldn’t have been much quicker.

From Nik Simon in France.

‘Wow. What a start for the All Blacks. I sat down with Shaun Edwards on Sunday and he was spitting about losing Jonathan Danty to injury. He said he’s his best defensive player and will leave a huge void in the midfield.

‘It showed as Rieko Ioane made a line break straight between the two centres to set up the first try. France stunned.’

Ramos scores a penalty for France. A sitter, to be honest, and France hit back early.

The conversion, from a tough angle, is wide. But the All Blacks are ahead after a truly electric start.

It was Rieko Ioane who broke through the French defence and it all stemmed from there.

France win off the restart, however…

Ramos sends it long for the first line-out.

A chance for New Zealand to build and there’s an early break but a late, late save from France.

New Zealand get a penalty and we have the first try! A fantastic cross field kick from B Barett and Telea goes over! What a start!

The first whistle is sounded.

The Hakka too is now over. France faced up to it.

The French national anthem is defeaning.

More from Nik Simon: ‘French host broadcaster TF1 have shown exclusive footage from inside France’s team bus on the drive to the stadium.

‘Antoine Dupont was so relaxed that he had a snooze on the way in! He’s out on the pitch now leading the warm up – their patterns look like they’ve been choreographed to perfection.

‘The cheer inside the ground when the scrum-half’s name was called out was enough to wake up the whole of Paris.’

The teams are on their ways out at the Stade de France.

We’ll have the anthems and then the Hakka and then the Rugby World Cup will be underway.

Former England World Cup winning coach and Mail Sport columnist Sir Clive Woodward has had his say on the tournament.

England can win tomorrow. The underdogs are full of confidence. And tonight’s game will decide who wins Pool A.

Read his full assessment below.

Nik has also commented on the absence of Romain Ntamack from the tournament.

‘A sad sight to see advertising campaigns featuring Romain Ntamack and his father Émile on the walk into the stadium. Pulled out a couple of weeks ago with a nasty knee injury. He was destined to be one of the stars of this World Cup.’

It’s an unfortunate ACL injury for him.

As Nik has just said, news in from the ground is that All Blacks captain Sam Cane is out of tonight’s game.

He picked up an injury yesterday, with Tupou Vaa’i now starting at six. Dalton Papali’i moves to seven, with Ardie Savea taking over captaincy for the evening.

Here’s Nik Simon’s view of the ceremony.

‘Plenty of jeers for Emmanuel Macron as the French President takes the microphone to declare the World Cup open. Smoke clearing above the stadium from a spectacular fly over. There’s a buzz around this one!

‘Big blow for New Zealand as captain Sam Cane pulls out with an injury that was picked up in yesterday’s captain’s run. Meanwhile, it’s time for another singalong…’

Beaumont is trying to get spectators to be quiet. That is not going to happen.

In English, he speaks about the origination of rugby and how there’s no better to celebrrate its 200 year anniversary than in France.

He finishes by thanking those involved in the preparations for the tournament and bigging up the next seven weeks.

Macron then comes to the stand to a series of boos. Politics, I guess.

He’s said something about France being the focus of rugby for the next few weeks – a revolutionary statement – and bigs up Francr a bit (a lot).

He finishes by declaring the tournamnet open.

Oh, nope, a few of them are doing it.

Several fireworks around the outside of the stadium bring an end to proceedings.

Really enjoyed that, actually.

Sir Bill Beaumont and Emmanuel Macron will give the opening speeches.

The flags of all the competing counties are now on display as the actors and volunteers make their ways aroudn the outside of the arena to a popular tune.

I don’t know the some, but 60,000 French people do, and they’re having a darn good time.

Some planes reveal the colours of the French flag before one guy crowd surfs over some of the volunteers.

Oh, William Webb Ellis is here!

There’s a big of a fight breaking out over the hat and the man who pretty much invented rugby wants to ensure play is fair. ‘The players are artists’, he says.

I’ll be honest, I don’t totally understand what’s going on, but there’s been a great case of food, music and fashion so far.

It’s supposed to be a ‘poetic and colorful journey’ full of both ‘humour and self-deprecation’.

The fashionista’s hat has just been blown away. All part of the show, with several men trying to now reclaim the hat.

There are several people out on the field for the show, with French celebritiesi involved too.

This is what the organisers of the tournament said on the show: ‘These guests of honour, who come from the worlds of film, music, dance, urban culture, but also gastronomy and craftsmanship, will be at the heart of this Opening Ceremony. They will take the 80,000 fans at the Stade de France and millions of TV viewers on a poetic and colorful journey, through a story of romance and brotherhood.’

There’s a lot of dancing and everyone looks very happy, that’s for sure.

There’s a man – Jean Duhardin -using a baguette as a rugby ball to start.

He’s now cycling his baguettes to the field.

What a proud moment this must be for France and its people.

While we wait for the opening ceremony…

Another man we have out in France, Chris Foy, has arrived at the ground ahead of tonight’s opener.

The Stade de France is already bouncing and packed full of excited spectators and tonight promises to be a huge game for France, who of course chose to face the All Blacks tonight.

It’s almost time for the opening ceremony to get underway, a big moment for any host nation. It is in this case, of course, France.

The ceremony is to move away from traditional styles, going back in time to tell the story of French culture using a series of actors and volunteers.

Jean Duhardin is and actor and co-writer of this ceremony, and will lead it as the individuals embody France’s culture and art of living, I’m told.

Two of our people in France for the tournament, Nik Simon and Kevin Quigley, are going to be documenting their travels through the country during the tournament.

The first epidsode is out now, and can be checked out down below.

Preparation hasn’t been ideal for New Zealand, losing 35-7 in their final warm-up game against South Africa, but there are four chances to the XV that started that game.

Anton Lienert-Brown and Nepo Laulala are among those that come in. Scott Barrett starts despite his red card against the Springboks.

New Zealand: B Barrett, Jordan, Ioane, Lienert-Brown, Telea, Mo’unga, Smith, De Groot, Taylor, Laulala, Whitelock, S Barrett, Papalii, Cane, Savea.

Replacements: Taukei’aho, Tu’ungafasi, Newell, Vaa’i, Jacobson, Christie, Havili, Fainga’anuku.

Let’s have a run through of the teams for tonight, then. Hosts France first up.

Jonathan Danty and Cyril Baille are going to miss the next couple of weeks, while others including fly-half Romain Ntamack will miss the tournament altogether.

France: Ramos, Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Villiere, Jalibert, Dupont, Wardi, Marchand, Atonio, Woki, Flament, Cros, Ollivon, Alldritt.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Gros, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Boudehent, Lucu, Vincent, Jaminet.

On paper, we have the two favourites for the tournament going at it tonight. A potential dress rehearsal for the final.

In truth, there won’t be huge ramifications for whoever loses this evening.

With Namibia, Italy and Uruguay the other three sides in Pool A, both teams on show tonight will feel comfortable about their chances of making it through to the next stage, no matter what happens tonight.

But victory tonight will go a long way to claiming top spot and will be huge for the mental edge for the rest of the tournament.

And there’s history between the two sides. The 1987 and 2011 New Zealand victories, the 1999 and 2007 France comebacks… No two sides have faced each other more in World Cup competition.

It’s the battle of the juggernauts.

Good evening one and all and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the Rugby World Cup opener between France and New Zealand.

After what feels like months of talk the competition has arrived and what a cracker we have to get us underway for the competition.

Kick-off is scheduled for 8:15, with the opening ceremony from 7.