The first week of the 2026/27 NFL season took the league to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
The Los Angeles Rams faced the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC West divisional rivalry.
The game was also the NFL’s inaugural southern hemisphere match.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and Niners fan Luca Salmasi looks at the 49ers’ 27-7 victory.
Faithful take over Melbourne
The Melbourne match was a designated Rams home game. However, it often felt like a 49ers home fixture.
Thousands of San Francisco fans made their presence felt throughout the game.
The 49ers also made a strong impression away from the field.
The team arrived in Australia one week before the game. During that time, players connected with local fans.
They visited schools and community centres. They also joined a well-known Australian weekend tradition by handing out snags at a local Bunnings.
Meanwhile, the Rams took a different approach to their preparations.
The team sent 15 staff members to Australia over the previous two years. Their travel plans also focused heavily on player recovery.
That approach is understandable from a sporting perspective. However, it may have left some fans disappointed.
Many supporters had waited a long time to see the NFL in Australia. The 49ers appeared to understand that opportunity.
As a result, San Francisco built a strong connection with the local crowd before the game even started.
Shanahan and Morris masterclass
Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris produced an impressive tactical performance.
Sean McVay and Chris Shula struggled to match their opponents.
Shanahan used a familiar offensive approach. He initially attacked the Rams through the air.
Then, he used the running game to soften the interior defence.
On defence, the 49ers applied consistent pressure. That pressure made life difficult for the Rams offence.
Morris also had an important advantage. He knows McVay extremely well.
The result was another strong defensive performance against the Rams.
It was also the second straight year that Morris outmanoeuvred McVay’s offence against San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Shanahan has also found success against Shula.
The 49ers have used a similar approach against him for three consecutive seasons.
When both teams are at full strength, San Francisco has continued to find ways to control the matchup.
The Rams rely on a battle of attrition. However, that strategy did not work in Melbourne.
Their play-calling was not necessarily poor. Still, the 49ers gradually picked apart the Rams on both sides of the ball.
Purdy spreads the ball
Brock Purdy made an excellent start to his 2026 campaign.
The 49ers quarterback found three different receivers for touchdowns.
San Francisco first reached the end zone in the second quarter.
Purdy connected with Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown.
His second touchdown came on a short two-yard pass to Mike Evans.
Later, Purdy found Deebo Samuel for a 15-yard touchdown.
The score came on a 99-yard drive. It also put the game firmly in San Francisco’s control.
Purdy finished the game with impressive numbers.
He completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards. He also threw three touchdowns.
Evans makes immediate impact
Mike Evans made an instant impact in his first regular-season game with the 49ers.
The wide receiver quickly became one of Purdy’s key targets.
Evans caught five passes for 47 yards in the first half.
He then added a touchdown during San Francisco’s opening drive of the third quarter.
The score came on a two-yard pass from Purdy.
It was also Evans’ first touchdown as a 49ers player.
His early production gave Purdy another reliable option in the passing game.
49ers defence stands tall
San Francisco’s defence played a major role in the victory.
The unit allowed only seven points.
It also kept the Rams off the scoreboard for three quarters.
One of the biggest defensive plays came in the third quarter.
Matthew Stafford attempted to run into the end zone on fourth-and-one from the one-yard line.
However, the 49ers defence stood firm.
Linebacker Osa Odighizuwa was credited with the stop. The play resulted in a turnover on downs.
Fred Warner also made history during the game.
The linebacker returned to action needing only two tackles to tie Hall of Famer Patrick Willis’ franchise record.
Willis had recorded 950 career tackles for San Francisco.
Warner finished the game with five solo tackles and six assisted tackles.
His 11 total tackles moved him past Willis.
As a result, Warner became the 49ers’ all-time leader in career tackles.
The performance capped an impressive day for San Francisco.
The 49ers ultimately secured a convincing 27-7 victory over the Rams in Melbourne.
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