Halfback Laure Sansus scored the first try of the Rugby World Cup after only two minutes, offering an early glimpse of the challenge France intend to bring to tournament favourites England and New Zealand.
While France are ranked No 4 in the world, their star-studded lineup is expected to out-performthat ranking, and they impressed in the opener at Eden Park, beating South Africa 40-5.
Sansus is one of those stars, the player of the championship in this season's Six Nations tournament.
Second five-eighth Gabrielle Vernier scored the second try and Emilie Boulard the third, giving France a 19-0 lead over 11th-ranked South Africa in better than even time. Vernier scored off a neat chip kick by first-five Caroline Drouin and Boulard went almost the length of the field from an intercept.
The score remained 19-0 at halftime as South Africa's performance was lifted by a strong scrum. That revival continued when South African winger Nomawethu Mabenge scored the first try of the second half.
France had become sluggish and had to find a new gear. That they did so efficiently again was impressive — Sansus scored her second try in the 68th minute, attacking quickly from a tapped penalty.
Drouin scored three minutes later and France's lead expanded to 33-5. Joanna Grisez added the final try after the fulltime siren.
