Match Details

France

VS

Qantas Wallabies

	13	Stade de France, Paris Kick off times: 9:00pm (Local) Sat 22 Nov 7:00am (AEDT) Sun 23 Nov	18
	Head to Head: Played 38 : Australia 20, France 16, Drawn 2Last Time: Last Time: 05/07/08 : Australia 40 - France 10 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

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Match Review

The Qantas Wallabies have beaten France in France for the first time since 2000 with a hard fought 18-13 win over Les Bleus in Paris on Saturday night (Sunday morning AEDT).

In doing so the Men of Gold have won three games in a row on their end of season tour for the first time in the professional era.

And the Wallabies had to overcome a considerable setback to come out on top of the desperate French XV.

The Men of Gold were disrupted just before kick off with outside centre Ryan Cross ruled out which saw fulback Adam Ashley-Cooper move to outside centre, Drew Mitchell drop to fullback, Digby Ioane come off the bench on to the left wing and Lote Tuqiri in to the reserves for the first time on tour.

The Wallabies were almost behind after just two minutes when scrumhalf Luke Burgess was penalized for holding on, giving France flyhalf David Skrela a chance at goal but the Frenchmen shaved the outside of the post with the very kickable attempt from thirty-five metres, almost in front.

It was the start of a horror night with the boot for the French No.10.

The Men of Gold looked threatening soon after putting numerous phases together in the French 22 but again Burgess was dispossessed, this time by French lock Sebastien Chabal.

Skrela was again off his aim on eight minutes with a drop goal attempt literally ten metres out underneath the posts.

George Smith was running foul of South African referee Craig Joubert, pinged for coming in at the side twice in the first 12 minutes.

The match had a helter-skelter quality in the first fifteen minutes with both sides making mistakes but there was a sense that if the Wallabies could settle first, the match was there to be won.

The big match atmosphere and very cold conditions were proving a combination both team could not master.

On 20 minutes another breakdown penalty against the desperate French gave captain Stirling Mortlock a shot at goal from just on halfway but this time it was the Wallaby marksman who was just wide.

On 24 minutes some good lineout ball saw Ioane split the French defence with a powerful 40 metre burst but just as the Wallabies looked set to score the home team again turned the ball over with urgent counter-rucking.

Matt Giteau then had a chance to open the scoring with another breakdown penalty against France on their 22 and the Wallabies flyhalf, with an 86% success rate in kicks at goal in Tests this season, made no mistake. Australia leading 3-0 after nearly half an hour.

The Wallabies were further ahead just a minute later after the French were penalized for an unlucky offside when they themselves were looking threatening.

From the lineout on France’s thirty metre line Ashley-Cooper made a bullocking run to take the Wallabies metres out from the tryline and then a clever short pass from Burgess saw hooker Stephen Moore force his way over through some porous French defence.

Giteau landed his usual conversion and the Wallabies had weathered the early storm to lead by 10-0 after 32 minutes.

Skrela missed another penalty attempt  from the touchline a minute later and then another soon after from in front 35 metres out bringing groans of disappointment from the home crowd.

France looked dangerous straight after with Skrela showing he was better with the ball in hand than kicking for goal as Les Bleus put together a sixty-metre surge through numerous phases.

However superb work from Burgess at the breakdown won the Wallabies a crucial turnover.

But from the resultant scrum a loose pass from Burgess saw the ball dribble over the deadball line and the French had a scrum five metres out.

And this time, the Wallabies scrum that had been so impressive the week before against England, self destructed as the French pack rolled over the line to win a penalty try.

Skrela finally found his accuracy, from dead in front, and the French were back in it 10-7 at halftime.

France started the second half as they had finished the first, attacking the Wallabies line, but a clever intercept from Mortlock stopped a promising French backline raid.

Seven minutes into the second stanza Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe, who was enjoying a prominent match in both the lineout and the loose, gave away a penalty for coming in at the side at ruck time and this time Skrela was accurate on the 22, ten metres in and the scores were locked up 10-all.

The tide was turning towards France and the Wallabies needed to lift if the Test was not going to slip from their grasp.

And suddenly France were in front for the first time with fullback Maxime Medard scraping a long range drop goal over the crossbar, to put the home team in front 13-10.

But the Wallabies were back in front on 57 minutes.

From yet another breakdown penalty against the team in possession, Giteau put the Wallabies deep in to French territory with a long range touch finder.

From the line out the Wallabies forwards worked it cleverly right then left of the ruck through several drives before sending the ball wide, where quick hands saw winger Peter Hynes squeeze over in the corner.

Giteau this time missed the conversion but the Men of Gold were back in front 15-13 with twenty minutes to go.

The Wallabies went to the bench with Sam Cordingley, who is bound for Grenoble at tour’s end, coming on for Burgess, Sekope Kepu on for prop Ben Alexander and Mark Chisholm on for Wycliff Palu.

The Men of Gold had a chance soon after to go further ahead but the pass from George Smith to Ioane floated just forward with the Reds winger again looking dangerous.

A scrum penalty with 12 minutes to go gave Skrela a chance to put France ahead from 48 metres out but again the Les Bleus No.10 pushed it wide to leave the Wallabies clinging to their two point lead.

Skrela got yet another chance one minute later with Joubert penalizing Chisholm for going off his feet but again the kick went wide.

Joubert was being very strict at the breakdown and both teams had decided to take the safety option by putting the ball in the air. This led to Quade Cooper coming on for Ashley-Cooper, who was injured after leaping high for a courageous mark.

With five minutes to go it looked like the Wallabies were home with Skrela bringing down the hard running Ioane in a dangerous head high tackle and being yellow carded for his trouble but Giteau’s attempt hit the post and the French still had a chance.

Les Bleus needed a converted try to win the game and threw everything at the Wallabies with charge after charge in the final minutes but just one turnover would win it for the Men of Gold.

And it was a well executed tackle from Sharpe that saw the Wallabies win a penalty that stopped the French assault.

The ball was kicked into touch and the Men of Gold had beaten France in France for the first time since 2000 and won three games in a row on their end of season tour for the first time in the professional era.

Next stop for the Wallabies, Cardiff where they face reigning 6 Nations champions Wales next Saturday.

Full time Score

Qantas Wallabies 18 (Stephen Moore, Peter Hynes tries; Matt Giteau 2 penalties, conversion) defeated France 13 (Penalty try; David Skrela conversion, penalty goal; Maxime Medard drop goal) at Stade Francais in Paris.

 Qantas Wallabies vs France Fact Sheet