A LATE try by star French winger Emile Ntamack assured France of a winning start to their World Cup campaign as they ran out 33-20 winners over Canada in their Pool C match in Beziers on Saturday – only their fifth win in 12 tests. The 29-year-old veteran, scoring his 23rd try in 36 appearances, had only been on the pitch for a few minutes before a rare flowing French backs move gave him the chance to touch down in the corner and give his side, who had led 18-10 at the break, a more convincing margin of victory than was merited by their overall performance. The French, for whom Richard Dourthe scored 11 points, scored four tries to Canada’s two – both touched down by scrum-half Morgan Williams. Canada’s tempo was doused with the halftime retirement of talismanic captain and fly-half Gareth Rees with a knee injury. Williams, who had scored a try late in the first-half to give the Canadians the lead before the French hit back, scored an opportunist try to put his side back in the match in the second-half, catching the French defence unawares by taking a tapped penalty. However, just as the French had reacted with a bit more fire after going behind in the first-half so they did in the second and after wave after wave of attacks, finally crossed the line with a pushover try which was credited to fly-half Thomas Castaignede. France had been trailing the Canadians late in the first-half but then a magnificent try by flanker Olivier Magne saw the take the lead going into the break. –AFP