The bad omens facing the All Blacks in 2026 season-opener against France in Christchurch

Friday, 3 July 2026

ANALYSIS: There is nothing quite like the first All Blacks test of the year. Open the curtains on match morning and, sun or rain, there is a different smell in the winter air.

A waft of excitement, anticipation, expectation, but, in 2026, perhaps tempered by a decent dose of anxiety, given the bad omens that have been served up this year, with a season-opener against France in Christchurch.

Saturday night’s historic first international fixture at One NZ Stadium promises to be a grand occasion, with the atmosphere at the beautiful new roofed-venue sure to be electric in the first fixture of the new Nations Championship, as new coach Dave Rennie looks to stamp an immediate mark and reinvigorate the national side with a fresh style of footy.

But any superstitious types may be wondering just what New Zealand Rugby were thinking when they opted to ask the All Blacks to kick off their campaign in the Garden City against Les Bleus.

That was a decision, of course, made late last year, at a time when Canterbury local Scott Robertson looked destined to still be in charge, and a happy homecoming looked rather rosy.

That has now indeed been blown out of the water with his sensational sacking, and there’s not even much of a red-and-black presence in the squad at all now. Assistant coach Jason Ryan remains, and, given a few injuries, there is a remarkably low total of just five Crusaders in the 34-man squad.

So, far from the safety net of their vaunted Eden Park fortress (52 tests unbeaten), the men in black will instead get their new era underway in what will be largely unfamiliar territory, and where history does not tell a favourable tale.

Test-match-starved Cantabs probably won’t need reminding of the last time the All Blacks were in town.

That was 2022, and resulted in a first-ever home loss to Argentina (25-18), in the first game after under-fire coach Ian Foster had just had his job saved with the stunning win over the Springboks at Ellis Park.

While much is made of the All Blacks’ traditional first-test rust, lack of time together to sort combinations and the need to warm into their work, they have still proved regularly strong starters on the scoreboard.

In fact, they have now gone 16 years without dropping their first match of the season.

The last time they did, in 2009, came against France. The All Blacks, albeit shorn of a host of stars, fell to a shock 27-22 loss at Carisbrook in Dunedin, in what was the two sides’ first meeting since that fateful 2007 World Cup quarterfinal in Cardiff.

There have been some narrow escapes in season-openers since, mind you. Robertson had a pair of close-run things in his two, both in Dunedin ‒ 16-15 against England in 2024, and 31-27 against the under-strength French last year ‒ while in the Covid-affected calendar of 2020, Rennie’s Wallabies managed a 16-16 draw in Wellington in what was Foster’s first game at the helm.

Now, after Foster just managed to escape the ignominy, it’s Rennie’s turn to try and avoid becoming the first All Blacks coach in 34 years to lose his first game in charge.

The last to do that was Laurie Mains, in a 28-14 defeat to the World XV in 1992. Where was that one? Lancaster Park. That is the last time an All Blacks coach started their tenure in Christchurch.

Since then, only once have the All Blacks opened their season in the Garden City ‒ something that was a regular occurrence for them through the 1980s.

That came in 1994, with Mains still in charge, and again ended in defeat. Who to? France.

That 22-8 result remains New Zealand’s biggest-ever loss at home to Les Bleus, and is equal (with the 1992 one) for their biggest-ever loss in Christchurch.

Rennie is a noted stats man when it comes to team selection. It would have been interesting had he got a venue selection for his first test, too.

Last All Blacks match in Christchurch

Lost 25-18 v Argentina, Apollo Projects Stadium, 2022

Last All Blacks loss in a season-opener

27-22 v France, Carisbrook, Dunedin, 2009

Last All Blacks season-opener in Christchurch

Lost 22-8 v France, Lancaster Park, 1994

Last All Blacks coach to lose first match

Laurie Mains, 28-14 v World XV, Lancaster Park, 1992