Rugby World Cups are not won or lost on the tournament’s first night but the opening fixture can often set the tone. On a sweltering evening in Saint-Denis, this was a game played in the most electric of sporting atmospheres, an early clue as to what awaits in the knockout stages. If crowds are half as enthusiastic as this for the entire competition, it is going to be a truly thunderous event.
From the giant golden Eiffel Tower on the pitch to the euphoric scenes inside and outside the stadium before kick-off, the whole occasion was a further illustration of just how much support the hosts will enjoy in the weeks ahead. The crowd did boo the French president, Emmanuel Macron, but their booming rendition of La Marseillaise was completely off the scale.
