France women pulled off an emphatic Test win over World Champions New Zealand in the first leg of an autumn double header between the two.
The hosts ran in six tries in Pau, with Cyrielle Banet scoring twice in quick succession, to run out 38-13 winners against a side ranked as the second best in the world.
It means visitors New Zealand are still winless on their 2021 autumn tour of the Northern Hemisphere, following back-to-back defeats against England in the last two weekends.
Les Bleues meanwhile maintain their recent record of not losing to any nation, bar England, since 2019.
Despite plenty of changes to the team that beat South Africa 46-3 in Vannes, France were excellent from start to finish.
It was the hosts who scored first through Banet after excellent team-work from the French forwards, before she finished off a brilliant score from a Gabrielle Vernier cross-kick.
And the 2021 Six Nations runners-up refused to let up throughout the first-half, causing countless problems for the Black Ferns defence.
Replacement Chloe Jacquet scored right on half-time to open up a 13 point-lead and from then on there was only ever going to be one winner as France led 19-6.
Full-back Emilie Boulard went over in the 47th minute, with hooker Agathe Sochat and Laure Sansus also getting on the act as the hosts ran riot.
Composed kicking from Caroline Drouin added four conversions and although New Zealand got a consolation try through Eloise Blackwell, it failed to spoil the French party.
The hosts will now look to stake a claim to be the world’s second-best team behind England, in the return match next week.
Meanwhile, another defeat for the Black Ferns on this tour means it is back to the drawing board for Glenn Moore’s side.
