If you don't drink coffee and you ever need a wake up, just replay the opening eight minutes of this.

What a breathless start.

Oscar Jegou is up to steal the line out!

It's a big moment, but France then give away another penalty from their own ball on the floor.

The All Blacks are throwing it about for fun but play is brought back for the penalty advantage.

They're going to go back into the corner.

New Zealand win their throw and Codie Taylor peels away from the back of the maul.

He's brought down but the hosts have another advantage.

The All Blacks finally get their hands on the ball and have worked their way into the 22.

Maxime Lucu manages to being down Ardie Savea, which is a bit of a mismatch but he gets the job done.

There's another phase or two before Jefferson Poirot is pinged for not rolling away, and it's popped into the corner.

Seven points down and a man down inside three minutes.

Love is sent to the bin for a bunker review. His shoulder definitely caught Penaud, so he can't have too many complaints.

Ouch.

To make things worse for the hosts, Ruben Love is being reviewed for a high hit on Penaud earlier in the move.

Luke Pearce is chatting to his TMO.

New Zealand claim the kick off and clear their lines.

France win their first line out on halfway and are already motoring through the gears as Damian Penaud almost gets in.

Off we go in Christchurch!

It's a blockbuster to kick off the Nations Championship.

France are in their alternate white jersey, New Zealand are - you guessed it - in all black.

Image source, Getty Images

It's time for the Haka.

This should be a special one as the All Blacks return to Christchurch.

Again, the lights are dimmed around the ground except on the players, and it's echoing off the closed roof.

Man, I wish this was filled with coffee.

Anyway, eyes on the prize.

Image source, Inpho

Lovely stuff all round.

The lights were dimmed around the stadium aside from the spotlights on the players and a choir, and it was almost like a carol service at a cathedral at Christmas.

Quite touching, really.

It's time for the anthems.

First up, it's France.

The teams are out after a wonderful lights show at the Te Kaha stadium.

It really is a magnificent venue for a rugby match.

The sun has long disappeared over Christchurch and the roof is closed, so the atmosphere is contained inside this delight of a ground.

On the bike that early, Rory? Fair play!

My colleague, Ruairi, has just informed us in the BBC Sport NI office that it's actually his wedding anniversary today. Luckily for him he's spending it with myself and Matt Gault. A lucky, lucky man.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

For those earlybird rugby fans emerging from their beds hoping to see Antoine Dupont in action, the France superstar will not be joining us.

Neither will jet-heeled try machine Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

Their absence from the Les Bleus squad is certainly disappointing, but France have still brought some star names to Christchurch to take down the All Blacks, with the mercurial Matthieu Jalibert starting at 10 after enjoying an outstanding Six Nations campaign.

Then there is Damian Penaud, France's record try scorer, who is back on the right wing after being overlooked in the Six Nations.

Penaud has 40 tries in 59 matches for France, while Will Jordan - his opposite number - has 45 in 54 for the All Blacks.

The battle between two of rugby's deadliest finishers is the kind of edge-of-your-seat sub-plot to launch this new competition in style.

No Dupont, no problem.

Image source, Getty Images

The New Zealand fans are bringing the razzmatazz to the game this morning.

It's certainly...something.