SHAUN EDWARDS: President Macron necked a beer and I fist-bumped Kylian Mbappe! Defence coach takes Mail Sport inside the celebrating France dressing room after victory over All Blacks

We had a great time in the dressing rooms after our opening night win over the All Blacks.

We had a few French footballers come in and it was great to see that unity. I just got out of the shower and Kylian Mbappé was there. I gave him a fist bump and said ‘respect’ and he said it back!

The president, Emmanuel Macron, was there too. He always has a few bodyguards with him, but they are quite discreet.

I spoke a little French to him and said: ‘Chaque fois vous arrivez, nous gagnon’ – when he comes to watch, we win. He’s been three times and we’ve won them all. The boys gave him a beer and made him drink it in one go, all cheering him on. He was a good sport.

I’ve really enjoyed the World Cup so far and it obviously helps when you win. It takes two or three days to recover from those 9 p.m. games because you lose a night’s sleep. You don’t go to bed until 3:30, so I’m tired but happy.

President Emmanuel Macron (right) has been a good luck charm for the French team so far

The heat has played a major role so far. In the past I have said that it is an advantage for Southern Hemisphere teams to enter the World Cup battle hardened after the Rugby Championship, but this time it is different. They are coming out of their winter, while teams like France, Wales and England have been doing training camps in very intense heat.

Friday night was one of the hottest 80 minutes I’ve ever experienced before a match. It was 37°C on the field. I saw Floyd Mayweather indoors in Las Vegas and the heat was nothing compared to Paris. The ball was very slippery and there was a lot of fatigue.

Thirteen points was the fewest we have conceded against New Zealand since the 2011 World Cup final, so I was happy with the defensive effort.

So many tries come from pick-and-gos or mauls in the 22 and we did a pretty good job of keeping them out. A five-metre lineout or scrum inevitably led to a penalty or try or even a yellow card. The All Blacks didn’t have a lineout or scrum in our 22 all game. That’s the plan, keep them out of the 22. Defensively, we have conceded fewer than 20 points in our last three games and that is an objective. If we keep getting those numbers out, I’ll be happy.

We changed the team a lot for our match against Uruguay, but we want the same level of performance.

It was nice to sit down and watch the other games of the weekend knowing we won. I prefer to watch them in the privacy of my room, take some notes, always working! We have buffet dinners and I brought my plate upstairs and watched the England game by myself. I really enjoyed watching George Ford blast over the drop goals. It’s really good that he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves. He is one of the most intelligent players I have seen.

He could be an excellent coach one day and I would love to work with him. To adapt so quickly after going down to fourteen men and think, ‘You know what, it’s going to be hard to make attempts’ was genius.

Damian Penaud (left) scored a decisive try for France against New Zealand

Football stars Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann cheer on France in the stands

I celebrated the opening night win against the All Blacks by fist bumping Mbappe

I was hugely impressed with the English defense and their change in strategy. Courtney Lawes was a rock. They completely dominated what was a very good Argentine side. It was a real stakes-in-the-ground performance.

When it comes to the real stuff, England is always there or nearby. To me they were the most impressive artists in the Northern Hemisphere. Ireland weren’t playing against opponents of the same level, but it was clear they were just focusing on themselves. Class from a well-trained team.

The Springboks stood out in the southern hemisphere. They were suffocating. I watched all the set pieces and it was so difficult for Scotland to get a clean ball from scrums or lineouts. It’s so hard to get a consistent form of attack when you don’t have that steady possession.

The national anthems were discussed with the sweet children’s choirs. I have to say I was really looking forward to the national anthem, but everyone was out of sync! It’s good that they change it. The adults sang faster than the children. As they say in rugby: keep it simple!