France: the land of snails and frogs' legs.
On Saturday night the French rugby team played like demons.
The French were too strong at the breakdown, too efficient on attack and defence, and just too solid all round for a misfiring All Blacks outfit.
The All Blacks were rusty, there was no doubt about that.
Most first tests of the year are like that from the national side.
But, usually, a conservative game plan and a couple of pieces of individual brilliance can get them home.
But not this year.
No-one put their hand up and the game plan could not be executed by a greenhorn side.
Players such as Ma'a Nonu, Isaia Toeava and Neemia Tialata were not on their games, and it told.
Both sides gave it everything but the biggest difference between the two was the style each team played.
The French played close-quarter, no-frills test match rugby, while the All Blacks, particularly in the first 30 minutes, were still back in the middle of March, playing Super 14 rugby.
There were too many pushed passes from the home side, and the body position by the forwards was too high, leading to critical turnovers in exactly the wrong position.
It was a game the French richly deserved to win.
They put pressure on the All Blacks from the start and kept the foot on the throat for most of the rest of the match.
Line-outs apart, the All Black forward pack never dominated, and the scrum struggled to match a gallant French effort.
The defence was rock solid from the visitors and more than once the grubber kick became the option as the All Blacks ran out of ideas.
Players such as Rodney So'oialo were badly missed, for this test was close and about making small gains.
The All Black loose forward trio was outplayed.
Adam Thomson is going to take a while to adjust to openside flanker, and he was not helped by breaking his hand in the first 20 minutes of the match.
Liam Messam was flashy but that does not win tight games, while Kieran Read was anonymous, apart from missing a first-up tackle on Francois Trinh-Duc, as the French first five-eighth stormed to the try-line.
That score, after 17 minutes, gave the French belief, after they had won a scrum, courtesy of a Nonu knock-on.
Ten minutes later they were over again, after a kick through from Messam that he could not re-gather.
The French ran it back and huge centre Mathieu Bastareaud was held up on the line.
From the ensuing ruck, hooker William Servat went over.
That put the French 14 points up but the All Blacks came back with a try after the half-time hooter went.
Cowan chipped the ball over the top of a ruck, and winger Cory Jane picked it up and went on a weaving 40m run, setting up Messam for a try.
The All Blacks tried to take momentum from that try early in the second half but the French resisted, with flankers Thierry Dusautoir and Fulgence Ouedraogo tigerish around the field.
A couple of Stephen Donald penalties tied the scores, but the real back-breaker came when French fullback Maxime Medard intercepted a Luke McAlister pass and scampered 60m to score.
That put the visitors 10 points ahead with less than 10 minutes to go and though Nonu scored to make it interesting at the end, the fairytale ending did not materialise.
Best for the winners were the two flankers and halfback Julien Dupuy, and the front row was was impressive.
Best for the All Blacks were Jane, lock Brad Thorn and replacement hooker Keven Mealamu.
