Chris Wood and Anthony Wall marked their debuts for Great Britain and Ireland in record-equalling fashion in Paris. Their 6&5 win over Ryder Cup pair Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson matched the biggest margin of victory in any session of the Vivendi Trophy since it started in 2000 and helped Paul McGinley's side to a 3-2 lead over Continental Europe after the opening fourballs.

In Karlsson's defence, of course, this was his first competitive action since May because of a blister behind his left retina.

But Continental captain Thomas Bjorn must have been hoping for more from his top-ranked player Stenson against a duo who would not have been in the match but for the withdrawal of some star men.

Graeme McDowell would not have played either, yet he teamed up with fellow Irishman Rory McIlroy to beat Dane Soren Kjeldsen and big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros 4&3 in the top game.

Britain and Ireland's other point came from Oliver Wilson and Simon Dyson.

With Dyson fit again after suffering food poisoning in the build-up, they defeated Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson 3&2 - an exact repeat of the result when they clashed in foursomes in Ireland two years ago.

However, Continental Europe kept the gap down to only one point thanks to Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari and then Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Hansen, who had a superb seven birdies in the first 12 holes, and Molinari beat Robert Rock and Steve Webster 4&3.

Fernandez-Castano and Jimenez - the only player to be an ever-present since the series started in 2000 - came from two down to beat Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty 2&1.

Bjorn's men were made favourites given that they had lost only Sergio Garcia and the injured Martin Kaymer from their strongest possible line-up.

Britain and Ireland were without six players in all - Paul Casey, Pádraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Justin Rose - but they have won the last four matches.

McDowell and McIlroy were ahead from the moment the former sank a 25-footer on the first. They were lucky not to go back on terms at the third, though, as McIlroy's chip was going a long way past until it hit Kjeldsen's ball a few feet past the flag.

"I was amazed he didn't mark it," said the 20-year-old, and his partner agreed it was a key point. By the eighth they were three up and McIlroy's birdie on the 11th stretched the gap to four.

"I hope it's the start of a long partnership," he added.

"As long as we stay fit there's no reason why we can't have a partnership for the next 10 years."

Both would love to be together again at next October's Ryder Cup, with McDowell stating: "Obviously we're great friends, but this is a chance to show we can gel on the course.

"There's nothing I would like better than to play with him in the Ryder Cup."

Five more fourballs are played tomorrow, then greensomes and foursomes on Saturday and singles on Sunday.

Like the Ryder Cup, 28 points are up for grabs in total.