France vs Australia LIVE: Result and reaction after Wallabies thrashed in Paris
After England’s shock defeat to Fiji it’s the final match for France and Australia ahead of the Rugby World Cup
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Your support makes all the difference.France concluded their preparations for their home Rugby World Cup in fine fashion with a convincing 41-17 win over Australia.
At a buoyant Stade de France, the hosts showed off their attacking range to accelerate away in the second half.
The Wallabies impressed in the first half with their own varied play with ball in hand, but failed to make a series of opportunities inside the French 22 count and fell to a fifth successive defeat since Eddie Jones was installed as head coach.
And with Antoine Dupont, Matthieu Jalibert and Thomas Ramos expertly pulling the strings, France’s backs repeatedly cut a fatiguing visiting side to ribbons to sign off in style ahead of the tournament.
Fabien Galthie’s side open the World Cup with a mouthwatering clash with New Zealand in Paris on Friday 8 September.
Australia begin their tournament back at the Stade de France a day later, with the Wallabies taking on Georgia.
Follow live updates from France vs Australia below:
France 10-5 Australia, 27 minutes
Australia’s discipline is starting to slip - they are penalised bang in front on the fringes of their own 22...
France 10-5 Australia, 26 minutes
A cry to the heavens from Taniela Tupou, seemingly perfectly poised to snare breakdown ball but getting his technique wrong. The tighthead knows he should have done better.
Here’s Jonathan Danty’s opening score.
PENALTY! FRANCE 10-5 Australia (Thomas Ramos penalty, 25 minutes)
Thomas Ramos’s kick is stabbed up into the breeze, with the full back’s judgement perfect. Posts bisected, three more points to France.
France 7-5 Australia, 24 minutes
Australia clear up towards halfway, from where France go to work. Antoine Dupont drags defenders out of the line with a half-snipe, creating a hole large enough even for the colossal Uini Atonio to hurry through.
Atonio offloads to no one in particular, but Gregory Alldritt sweeps up, and shows impressive leg drive to make metres through contact. Australia are pinged at the resultant breakdown.
France 7-5 Australia, 22 minutes
It’s a cracker of a game, this. France play to width and utilise Villiere, who somehow manages to get a kick away while wrapped up in Rob Valetini’s constricting limbs. Gael Fickou looks the favourite to get to it but a leftward hop takes it into touch 10 metres from the Australia line.
France 7-5 Australia, 20 minutes
This has been a very good first 20 minutes from Australia’s attack, drilled today by Jason Ryles for the first time after Brad Davis’s sudden departure. Again, France are short of blindside numbers, with prop Angus Bell, busy so far, riding a tackle and releasing a deft offload. Suliasi Vunivalu and Gabin Villiere joust again, with the France wing managing to lance his man. An errant chip from Carter Gordon ends Australia’s attack with Thomas Ramos collecting on the slide.
France 7-5 Australia, 18 minutes
Another lineout misfire from Marchand, and Australia tap and go. A lovely switch of direction from Carter Gordon catches France under-manned on the blindside, with Suliasi Vunivalu put into space.
Vunivalu very nearly bests Gabin Villiere with a fend, but Villiere manages to clutch at a leg. Tate McDermott is there in support but a hurried offload ends up bobbling into touch.
France 7-5 Australia, 17 minutes
The noise inside the Stade de France is such that Julien Marchand can’t hear the lineout call! The hooker holds a finger to his ear after being free kicked for a double pump as he tries to throw, gesturing to his forward colleagues that the message never quite got through.
France 7-5 Australia, 14 minutes
An Australia knock on gives France a chance to play from a scrum inside the Wallabies’ 22.
Antoine Dupont obliges, combining with Gregory Alldritt as the number eight holds his feet in contact and offloads. Gabin Villiere has a sliver of space on the left, which is normally enough for the slippery wing, but Australia’s scramble defence just about forces him out.
TRY! France 7-5 AUSTRALIA (Mark Nawaqanitawase try, 13 minutes)
But Australia won’t need it!
With that penalty in their pocket, the vistors spread their wings, France’s defence condensing and closing to try and shut down the distributors. But Carter Gordon is withdrawn enough to get his wide pass away, and with Damian Penaud much too narrow there’s acres of space for Mark Nawaqanitawase on Australia’s left wing.
Nawaqanitawase has got plenty of toe and wins the race to the corner. Eddie Jones claps his hands approvingly.
Gordon can’t quite find the mark with his touchline conversion.
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