France launch World Cup with Pumas opener
France launched the 2007 Rugby World Cup tonight amid huge expectancy levels in coach Bernard Laporte’s final assignment before he takes up a French ministerial post.
Buoyed by World Cup warm-up victories over England (twice) and Wales, the French paraded a team packed with experience at a sold-out Stade de France.
Sport
Newsletter
Sign up to our daily sports bulletin, delivered straight to your inbox at 5pm. Subscribers also receive an exclusive email from our sports desk editors every Friday evening looking forward to the weekend's sporting action.




