Story: Sport and the nation

In 1980 the National Film Unit produced a 35-minute film of the French rugby team in New Zealand during the previous year. The film presented rugby in slow motion, set to the 'Manfred' symphony by Russian composer Tchaikovsky, making the game into a form of ballet. This clip shows the last minutes of the test match, when the French team scored a winning try to seal their victory on Bastille Day, 14 July 1979.