Thud.
That was the sound of the New Zealand side’s expectations falling to earth.
The Baby Blacks suffered a record loss at the under-20 World Cup in South Africa yesterday morning, dispatched 35-14 by France in their second pool match.
The 21-point defeat eclipsed their previous biggest loss (12 points) at the tournament, which was dealt out by England in the 2013 semifinal.
French lock Posolo Tuilagi proved more than a handful.
The 18-year-old, who is the nephew of England international Manu Tuilagi, scored twice to help set up the big win.
New Zealand pulled off a comeback win against Wales in its opening game, but the team could not find a solution for France’s dominant pack in heavy rain at Paarl.
French wing Theo Attissogbe scored early and Tuilagi bagged the first of his two from a driving maul.
He grabbed another in the second half to give France a 28-0 lead.
New Zealand eventually open its account in the 58th minute with a penalty try. Peter Lakai added to the comeback attempt, crashing through several tackles to score.
But France shut down the late rally with a try in the 68th minute.
New Zealand has slipped to third in Pool A, but can still make the playoffs with a win against Japan in its final pool game.
