All Blacks v France: Readers rate the players from Rugby World Cup opener

Beauden Barrett in action during the All Blacks' opening loss. Photo / Getty

The Herald readers have had their say on the performance of the All Blacks players during their loss to France in Paris.

Ian Foster’s side slumped to a 27-13 defeat to kick off the World Cup, losing in the pool stages for the first time in 32 matches.

But after weighing in with the Herald’s interactive player ratings tool, Kiwi fans did find a few of rays of light amid the gloom, with Mark Telea’s brace seeing the wing lead the way alongside skipper Ardie Savea and lock Scott Barrett.

That trio each earned an average score of seven out of 10 but the news wasn’t so good for the rest of the squad, with prop Ethan de Groot recording the lowest mark of four, shared by substitutes Fletcher Newell and Finlay Christie.

Of the starting XV, the readers agreed with the Herald’s scores for nine players, with the only big disparity coming for Beauden Barrett, whom the audience awarded a five while our ‘expert’ scored a seven.

Full reader ratings:

1. Ethan de Groot – 4/10

2. Codie Taylor – 5/10

3. Nepo Laulala – 5/10

4. Sam Whitelock – 6/10

5. Scott Barrett – 7/10

6. Tupo Vaa’i – 5/10

7. Dalton Papali’i – 5/10

8. Ardie Savea – 7/10

9. Aaron Smith – 6/10

10. Richie Mo’unga – 6/10

11. Mark Telea – 7/10

12. Anton Lienert-Brown – 5/10

13. Rieko Ioane – 6/10

14. Will Jordan – 5/10

15. Beauden Barrett – 5/10

Reserves:

16. Samisoni Taukei’aho – 3/10

17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi – 5/10

18. Fletcher Newell – 4/10

19. Brodie Rettalick – 5/10

20. Luke Jacobson – 5/10

21. Finlay Christie – 4/10

22. David Havili – 5/10

23. Leicester Fainga’anuku – 5/10

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