TOULOUSE—France healed wounded pride with a record 87-10 win over Namibia on Sunday nine days after their upset loss to Argentina in the opening World Cup encounter.
The tournament hosts ran in 13 tries, including three to right wing Vincent Clerc. They bettered their previous highest overall win, a 77-10 victory over Fiji in 2001, as well as their previous largest World Cup victory, a 70-12 demolition of Zimbabwe in 1987.
Locks Lionel Nallet and Sebastien Chabal scored two tries apiece and scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde scored 27 points.
Namibia, who played 6O minutes with 14 men after number eight Jacques Nieuwenhuis was sent off for a dangerous tackle, were helpless against a France side desperate to atone for their loss to the Pumas.
France, however, are still in danger of an early exit or of finishing second in their group and facing a likely quarter-final clash against the New Zealand All Blacks in Cardiff.
"We recaptured our joy, the pleasure that you need to play good rugby," France coach Bernard Laporte told a news conference.
"However, the fact that they had a player sent off helped and, even if we respect them as opponents, it was only Namibia.
"The World Cup has now really started for us but the hardest bit lies ahead."
The twice losing finalists, who meet Ireland next Friday in Paris and then play Georgia, exerted pressure on their visitors from the start.
Buoyant crowd
They were rewarded in the eighth minutes when a move sparked by powerful centre David Marty ended with winger Cedric Heymans touching down in the left corner.
Elissalde missed the conversion and Namibia responded almost immediately with a drop goal from flyhalf Emile Wessels, their only points of the match until a late intercept try by centre Bratley Langenhoven converted by fullback Tertius Losper.
Cheered on by a buoyant crowd in the capital of French rugby, France soon resumed their march forward and another fluent move gave them their second try by Marty, which Elissalde converted to put them 12-3 up after 12 minutes.
The last thing Namibia needed at that stage was to lose a player and a third French try, by flanker Thierry Dusautoir after a rolling maul, followed.
Namibia kept struggling and France kept showing flashes of brilliance, one ending with try number four by Nallet and another when wing Clerc crossing the line in the corner and then twisted his way past the Namibian defenders to score behind the posts.
Both tries were converted by Elissalde as well as Nallet's second from a maul and France changed ends leading 40-3.
France kept attacking after the break, an effort from their dominant pack resulting in a try by number eight Julien Bonnaire and an astute kick by Elissalde offering one to Chabal, who then followed up with his second afer a devastating run to the line.
Elissalde then got the try he deserved, Clerc scored his third and susbsitute hooker Raphael Ibanez had a another before Namibia scored their consolation try.
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