Hosts France followed up their opening-night triumph over the All Blacks with an underwhelming defeat of Uruguay in their second World Cup match on Thursday, missing out on bonus points as they struggled past a spirited South American side.
Last week’s rip-roaring victory over three-time winners New Zealand was always going to be a hard act to follow for the hosts, but few had expected them to struggle against Uruguay, one of the lowest-ranked teams at the tournament, who put on a defiant spectacle at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
