With the scores level at 22-22 heading into the final 10 minutes, Claude Onesta’s team managed to stamp their authority on the match and secure the win. 

Cédric Sorhaindo top scored for France with six goals, followed by Valentin Porte with five, while Michaël Guigou and Kentin Mahé notched four apiece.

"It was hard because we are not at home," said Porte.

"It's a first game.

"So we took some time to enter the match.

"But after that we started playing our game."

Hosts Poland join France at the top of Group A after recovering from a 15-14 deficit at half-time to overcome Serbia 29-28.

Group B favourites Croatia overcame a rocky first-half against Belarus to get themselves off the mark with a 27-21 win in Katowice.

The match was tied at 15-15 midway through, but the Croatians won the second-half 12-6 to extend their unbeaten streak against Belarus to 10 games and make sure head coach Željko Babić's debut European Championship game was successful. 

Iceland also set off on the right note in Group B as captain Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson released a winning shot in the dying moments of their encounter with Norway to earn a dramatic 26-25 win.

Action in Poland is scheduled to continue tomorrow with Group C and D matches taking place in Wrocław and Gdańsk respectively.

Group C sees Germany take on 2014 bronze medallists Spain before Sweden’s clash with Slovenia, while 2014 runners-up Denmark start their Group D campaign against Russia after Hungary’s meeting with Montenegro.

Meanwhile at the Asian Men’s Championship, hosts Bahrain got off to a winning start with a 41-18 victory over Lebanon in Group B.

There were also wins in the same pool for Saudi Arabia, who beat Iran 26-21, and the United Arab Emirates, 21-17 victors at the expense of China.

Group A takes centre stage tomorrow as holders Qatar face Oman after Japan’s encounter with South Korea.

The competition's top four teams will secure their place at the 2017 World Championships in France next January.