The Qantas Wallabies have completed the opening phase of their international season with a fourth consecutive Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series victory, downing France 22-6 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney tonight.
Following on from wins over the Barbarians and a two-Test clean sweep of Italy, the Qantas Wallabies added the scalp of a French side that squared a two-game campaign against the All Blacks in New Zealand earlier this month.
Five-eighth collected all 22 points for the Australians with a try, a conversion and a bag of five penalty goals, including four in the opening 16 minutes of the second half.
The win sends the Qantas Wallabies unbeaten into their upcoming Bundaberg Rum Tri Nations series against the All Blacks and Springboks, with the first game against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday, 18 July.
Australia led 10-3 at halftime from a converted Giteau try and a lone penalty goal.
But the combination of field position and pressure from the Qantas Wallabies early in the second stanza drew a string of indiscretions from the French which allowed Giteau to strike four times through an unerring left boot.
His 56th minute penalty goal sent the Australians clear 22-3.
The Qantas Wallabies took to the field half an hour after the 1999 Rugby World Cup Wallabies – the side that beat France to claim the William Webb Ellis Cup in Wales 10 years earlier – were introduced to the crowd.
Winger Drew Mitchell came close to scoring inside the opening two minutes, only to drop the ball in the left corner under a wave of French defenders.
The visitors had an opportunity to open the scoring when five-eighth Lionel Beauxis lined up a long range penalty in the 13th minute that, while struck sweetly, was pushed wide.
The first points finally came on 17 minutes when Giteau drifted a pass into centre Stirling Mortlock’s path. His offload allowed winger Lachie Turner to cut back on the angle, inside one defender, and release inside centre Berrick Barnes.
His swivel and pass when surrounded by three Frenchmen found an unmarked Giteau to run in the try.
Giteau added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
Beauxis kicked a penalty goal after 21 minutes to reduce the margin to four.
Giteau replied five minutes later with a penalty that ended the first half scoring at 10-3.
Qantas Wallabies flanker George Smith, in his 99th Test appearance, was named man of the match while fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper was another standout.
QANTAS WALLABIES 22 (Matt Giteau try; Matt Giteau conversion, 5 penalty goals) def FRANCE 6 (Lionel Beauxis penalty goal, Dmitri Yachvili penalty goal). Crowd: 43,588.
