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Welcome to our coverage of the second of today's Rugby World Cup games. Martyn Thomas is Our Man In Milton Keynes and he will be sharing the news and colour from Stadium MK. In the meantime, here is his preview.
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France kick off in MK. although a couple of minutes ago we had this:
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| 2 |
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And then of course we had the anthems.Got to love Le Marseillaise. And Oh Canada has a certain charm. If only for its simplicity.. Anyway, to the rugby: this France team have been a bit underwhelming thus far, but have won both their games and are immediately on the attack in Milton Keynes.
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| 3 |
0 - 5 |
But the French concede a scrum and Canada can kick it clear. But only for the French to bring it back and it's a TRY! Fofana finishes off the move after Michalak had wriggled free in midfield when he really had no right to break those tackles.
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| 4 |
0 - 7 |
Poor tackling on the Canadians' part. Conversion goes over and it's 7-0.
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| 5 |
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Canada swing together some nice passes from left to right and then back and for a fraction of a second it looks like van der Merwe on the wing might just get away, but he's brought down, play is brought back for a penalty in the Canadian half and they kick for touch and territory.
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But the French steal the lineout and have possession again. Until they give it up.
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| 8 |
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Canada are close to the French line for the first time after the french give up a penalty and there's a kick to the corner.
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| 9 |
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The Canadian pack are working the ball towards the French line and there are a couple of nice interchanges by the backs and then a knock-on spoils the whole thing and France have a scrum.
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| 10 |
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| 11 |
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The French finally clear the ball with a big boot for a Canadian lineout.
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| 13 |
0 - 10 |
Penalty near the posts and Michalak converts. 10-0
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| 14 |
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The French are under their own posts and Michalak starts a mazy run and then flings a miss-pass beyond all of his colleagues bar the winger, who gets the ball 3 yards from his own line. Hardly an ideal position. And then, from the ensuing ruck a Michalak clearance kick is blocked and Canada are almost in. But no.
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0 - 10 |
The Canadian pack are working hard yet again but have failed to find a way through so far
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| 18 |
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Big blow for Canada as captain Tyler Ardron limps off
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| 19 |
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The French are working hard to stymie the Canadian pack and then they are trying to get the backs involved, but it's not quite flowing yet. A French penalty as a Canadian tackle strays towards a neck. France in Canada's corner.
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| 21 |
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The French win the lineout and move the ball towards the line until... they give up a penalty and allow Canada to kick and relieve the pressure ... except they don't quite find touch and the French have the ball again.
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| 22 |
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The ball reaches Basteraud and his legs keep pumping towards the line despite the entire Canadian pack having climbed on top of him. Impressive. Eventually there's an infraction and Canadian prop Doug Wooldridge receives some treatment. Canada's scrum close to their own goalposts.
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| 23 |
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The Canadians kick for touch but there's a quick throw-in and France are going forward again - Michalak breaks, chips over the last defender but the ball bounces the wrong way and Fofana can't quite gather and the Canadians have a scrum on their own five yard line.
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| 25 |
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As the scrum gets taken and retaken, in the way that the modern scrum often is, Le Marseillaise starts to ring around Stadium MK.
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| 26 |
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Eventually Hirayama kicks clear for Canada but it's tricky from that very small endzone created in a stadium primarily used for football.
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| 27 |
0 - 15 |
And now the French pack are rolling the maul towards the line and hooker Guirado gets the ball down over the line. TRY!
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| 28 |
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Michalak nails the conversion from close to the left touchline. 17-0.
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| 29 |
0 - 17 |
Canada storm back from the kick off and eventually the ball reaches van der Merwe and he scores in the corner. TRY!
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| 30 |
5 - 17 |
That's van der Merwe's third try of the tournament. Is he in your fantasy team?
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7 - 17 |
The tricky conversion is good and it's 17-7.
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| 32 |
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Remember you can update your Fantasy team during the tournament (i've been very poor at doing that). You can do it here .
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12 - 17 |
The Canadians, wearing red, are on the attack again and have a great chance on the right but the forward misses the overlap. But then the forwards take over again and Carpenter is over for a TRY!
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| 34 |
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Poor tackling by the French pack close to their line and now it's 17-12 (the conversion is curiously missed from an eminently kickable spot.
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| 36 |
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So, what will France do now? Well, for a start they have their first extended period in the Canadian 22 for quite some time.
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| 37 |
12 - 22 |
The French kick for the corner and a lineout.. There's a bit of playfulness as the French pack huddle to decide their plan and Canada's Cudmore tries to listen in. But then the French lineout is driven to a rolling maul and Slimani is over for a TRY!
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12 - 24 |
The kick is good and it's 24-12. Good response by France.
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| 39 |
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Can Canada respond before half-time?
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| 40 |
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The Canadian pack push up the field and then their backs swing the ball around but eventually the French turn the ball over, kick for touch and a first half that has seen five tries comes to an end.
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| 40+1 |
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Martyn Thomas' half-time verdict from MK: "A full house in Milton Keynes took time to get going as a comfortable France win looked likely and the Mexican Wave was dusted off before kick off. However, having slipped two tries behind early on Canada rallied and the capacity crowd were brought to their feet as two scores of their own reduced the deficit to five points. Rabah Slimani would stretch Les Bleus' lead before half-time but make no mistake, we have a match on our hands at Stadium MK. France, particularly Freddie Michalak, Wesley Fofana and their driving maul, are working wonderfully in attack. The problem for Philippe Saint-Andre is that the Canucks have begun to carve holes in their defence at will. With the crowd on Canada's side, you feel France need at least another try to be sure."
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| 40+2 |
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| 40+3 |
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| 40 |
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| 41 |
15 - 24 |
Penalty converted by Hirayama and it's 24-15.
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| 42 |
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| 43 |
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As well as being entertaining, it also has to be admitted that this game has also been a bit scrappy, featuring too many mistakes. The French have not looked like potential champions, but then again, they've been winning reasonably comfortably while not playing well. Sometimes that is what you need. And not much point being at your best against the minnows when you actually need your best in the second half of the tournament.
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| 45 |
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The French in blue (I hesitate to say their traditional blue as they are wearing lots of blues) are attacking left to right, but it's the Canadians who steal the ball from the ruck and swing it wide but the final pass is low and knocked on.
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| 46 |
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A big French push at the scrum puts the Canadians into reverse. The penalty is kicked to touch and the French have a lineout 10 yards from the Canadian try-line. But France make a mess of the resulting maul and the Canadian's are swapping a lot of beardy forwards for some substitute beardy forwards. A lot of facial hair going on there.
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| 48 |
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Hirayama kicks the ball clear but only into French hands and France counterattack and then cough the ball up and the game resorts to a sort of 7s style again (been a lot of that today).
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| 49 |
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| 50 |
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The Canadians are on the attack again, willing to throw the ball along the line. Eventually the move comes to an end as the French stop the maul becoming a ruck and get the turnover.
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| 51 |
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The French threaten to counterattack and then give up the ball in the ruck by not releasing. Penalty to Canada. Hirayama will kick for touch.
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| 52 |
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The French look like they'll get the ball at the lineout but somehow don't and Canada attack until Spedding counterattacks from full-back for France. The ball is changing hands at a ridiculous pace here and Canada have the ball again.
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| 54 |
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Canada on the front foot and another penalty. This time Hirayama will go for the 3 points.
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| 55 |
18 - 24 |
And it's 24-18. Too close for comfort for the French.
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| 56 |
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The French are trying to slow the ball down around the pack but this doesn't seem to be helping a great deal. France on the attack now but finding it tough going.
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| 57 |
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France have a penalty on their left and are going for the 3-points. A sign that they need to give themselves some breathing space.
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| 58 |
18 - 27 |
27-18. That ought to take a bit of wind out of the Canadian sails. But that hasn't looked like happening up until now...
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| 59 |
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| 60 |
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Allez les Bleus rings around the Stadium MK as Michalak kicks for touch but fails to find it and Canada are counterattacking again...
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| 61 |
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Into the final quarter of the game and Canada haven't sniffed the French line for a while and the gap is more than one score. Have France finally snuffed out the Canadians? France have a lineout in the corner and will be looking for some comfort here.
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| 62 |
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The lineout is taken and the maul rolls and rolls towards the Canadian line but furious defence stops them time and time again and Basteraud looks like he must score but his held just short by three Canadians. Magnificent effort by Canada there and now they have the scrum.
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| 63 |
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The Canadians run the ball from the back of the scrum and look as if their forwards are going to try to inch the ball the entire length of the field. Eventually they lose the ball but defend with grit. The French have a lineout in the corner again though...
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| 64 |
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We know what's coming here...
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| 65 |
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France lineout is followed by rolling maul (see, I told you). They are stopped on the line, or are they? Referee calls for the TMO.
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| 66 |
18 - 32 |
TRY!
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| 67 |
18 - 34 |
The maul became a ruck and Pape snuck the ball over for a try and that ought to be enough for France to win. 32-18
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And Michalak converts. 34-18.
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| 69 |
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Canada have a mountain to climb now. Well, maybe more of a hill than a mountain, but there's 12 minutes to go and they need three scores. France are now feeling free enough to pass the ball out wide. Even if it only ends with them turning the ball over again. Still a lot for France to work on in training.
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Canada are penalised for collapsing the scrum - a sign of tiredness creeping in perhaps. France kick for the corner - and find it. Pressure is on the reds again here.
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| 71 |
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Apparently this is a record crowd at the Stadium MK.
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| 72 |
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Oh dear. Canada are going to end this game a man short as Nanyak Dala is sinbinned. The Canadian scrum performs heroics and stops France from pushing over for another score.
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18 - 39 |
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| 74 |
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Canada almost give up a shambolic try and now face another French scrum near the post. The ball reaches Grosso in the corner who goes over the line, but the ref calls for the TMO!
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| 75 |
18 - 41 |
TRY! Grosso scores on his RWC debut. 39-18. Any more points and this scoreline will be seriously unfair on Canada.
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And Michalak then makes a very difficult conversion look easy. 41-18
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| 77 |
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MoM discussion:
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| 78 |
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Canada win the ball from a lineout and are still giving it a go. It is getting exceptionally scrappy out there.
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| 79 |
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France are attacking again, but the Canadians hack the ball clear and win a penalty. They're going to run it from the halfway line in what will now be the last passage of play...
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| 80 |
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The Canadians move through the phases and edge towards the French line, but a knock on ends the game. Victory for France, but a brave and battling performance from Canada. 41-18 is a touch harsh.
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| 80+1 |
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Thanks for joining us tonight. Full time report will be online soon and there's more action to come tomorrow and over the whole weekend...
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| 80+2 |
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Martyn Thomas' full-time verdict: "In the end the record books will record this game as a rout for France. But for an hour that could not have been further from the truth. Indeed boos rang out from a record Stadium MK crowd as man of the match Freddie Michalak lined up a 59th minute penalty. It was a sign of the fright Canada had given Les Bleus, and an admission from skipper Thierry Dusautoir that the game was not won. The Canucks would get no closer than they had been at 24-18, and once France finally returned to their line-out to secure their bonus-point try. After replacement Nanyak Dala had been sin binned they added a fifth. Canada will rue not having TMO Graham Hughes on their side but a boisterous crowd will go home knowing they got value for money. France will have to step it up in defence if they are to match Ireland on Oct. 11."
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| 80+3 |
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Thank you and good night.
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