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Hello everyone, and welcome to our live commentary of the third and final Test between Australia and France at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. The Wallabies hold an unassailable 2-0 lead and are chasing a series sweep, while France are hoping to go home with something to show for their efforts.
We have beautiful weather in Sydney for the rarity of an afternoon Test - mid 20s Celsius and bright sunshine - and we're hoping, from an entertainment, point of view, for a Test more like that in Brisbane than Melbourne. There's no excuses not to turn it on.
And the Wallabies have a real reason to turn it on today: Ewen McKenzie turns 49. Happy birthday Link.
Earlier, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, right next door to Allianz Stadium (Sydney Football Stadium, to the traditionalists) the little tackers enjoyed their rugby.
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper tells George Gregan that the team released pressure too easily in Melbourne. He wants a stronger effort this weekend. John Eales, meanwhile, says the re-introduction of Wycliff Palu will get the team over the advantage line more easily.
Wonderful sight at Allianz Stadium: bumper crowd building, and the Australian Rugby Union has been rewarded for its decision to stage the Test on Saturday afternoon - a time plenty of fans prefer.
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| 1 |
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We're under way with Remi Tales kicking off for France. Deep straight to Nic White, who roosts the pill back to the French 10m on the left touchline. Australia win the lineout though a France knock-on.
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| 2 |
3 - 0 |
Penalty Australia. France not rolling away from the tackle of Tevita Kuridrani. Straight in front about 35m from goal. Bernard Foley on target and Australia on the board early.
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| 3 |
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Penalty France. Scott Fardy did not release the ball in contact after collecting the kick-off. Maxime Machenaud slices his kick and it hits the right post.
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| 4 |
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Will Skelton wins a lineout almost without jumping, and the Wallabies spin the ball left and right before spilling the ball backwards.
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| 5 |
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Wallabies maintain possession through phases but a little lateral without structure.
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| 6 |
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Israel Folau involved on the left and half breaks the line to expectant cheers.
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| 7 |
8 - 0 |
Try Australia. Will Skelton powers over from 5m on debut to cap an amazing spell of possession from the Wallabies. How do you stop a 140kg man from such a distance? Initially lateral movement but showed patience and kept clearing out breakdown. Good start for Australia. More of the same please.
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| 9 |
10 - 0 |
Australia collect the kick-off and go through possession before kick either way sees them with a lineout on French 10m.
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| 10 |
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Rob Simmons wins the lineout before Will Skelton bends the line in midfield. He's made a strong start.
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| 11 |
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France win the breakdown and clear deep inside Australian territory. Australia spill lineout and France awarded scrum inside Australia 22.
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| 12 |
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| 13 |
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Poor engagement sees France penalised and Australia clear lines only to concede lineout penalty after clearance because of numbers. France pick scrum halfway rather than kicking for another lineout.
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| 14 |
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Strong scrum from France and they win a penalty. Brice Dulin going for goal from halfway.
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| 15 |
10 - 3 |
Dulin on target and France on the ledger.
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| 16 |
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Penalty Australia. Michael Hooper collected Dulin straight from the kick-off and the fullback fails to release.
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| 17 |
13 - 3 |
Bernard Foley on target over the black dot. Great work there from Michael Hooper, and the Wallabies have been excellent in the first quarter having had 83% possession.
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| 18 |
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Wesley Fofana collects short ball from a ruck but he is scythed in half and spills the ball.
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| 19 |
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Scrum Australia but we have a re-set as Sekope Kepu loses his feet. Australia win the re-set and involve Israel Folau on first phase.
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| 20 |
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Phases from Australia and Tatafu Polota-Nau makes a big midfield bust but move falters when Ni k Cummins loses the ball forward in contact.
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| 21 |
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Australia are playing clinically, and they're making metres by bending the French defence almost at will.
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| 22 |
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Australia put on a big push at the scrum and France are under pressure only for Rob Simmons to make a tackle without arms that relieves the pressure. Solid set-piece there from the Wallabies.
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| 23 |
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Remi Tales clears downtown primarily because his forwards are being felled behind the gainline. Strong defence from the Wallabies forwards.
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| 24 |
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Penalty Australia with France pinged for failing to release tackled player, and Matt Toomua roosts the ball back into French territory.
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| 25 |
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Australia attacking first phase through the backs after winning the lineout off the top at the back. Israel Folau involved twice in the phases before spilling the ball in contact, but touchie Wayne Barnes says Michael Hooper was tackled without the ball.
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| 26 |
18 - 3 |
Rabah Slimani given yellow card. Australia take a quick tap rather than going for goal, showing their intent. Israel Folau scores in the right corner after quick phase play, justifying the decision to tap and go. This could easily get ugly for France. Nice work from Nick Cummins and Rob Simmons in the lead-up. Good interchanges.
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| 27 |
20 - 3 |
Bernard Foley slots the conversion from the sideline.
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| 28 |
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Australia attacking from deep in their own half from the kick-off, and they're either making ground in tight or threatening linebreaks wider out. At the minute only Wallabies mistakes are limiting their advantage.
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| 29 |
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France at last have a couple of phases and quick hands from Mathieu Bastareaud put Hugo Boneval in space, but Adam Ashley-Cooper tackles him into touch on the 22.
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| 31 |
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| 33 |
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Penalty France after winning a lineout and effecting a driving maul, with Sekope Kepu pinged for joining the breakdown from the wrong side.
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| 34 |
20 - 6 |
Maxime Machenaud on target. France needed that badly. But they need far more also.
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| 35 |
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Wallabies putting amazing pressure on France in tight, putting them backward.
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| 36 |
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France on attack after Australia drop the ball hard on attack, Wesley Fofana toeing the ball downfield after Kuridrani spilled the pill. Australia rushed in defence after a quick France lineout but they hold firm.
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| 38 |
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| 39 |
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Wycliff Palau is having a whale of a game. Makes a big bust in midfield round Mathieu Bastareaud but the opportunity comes to naught as Adam Ashley-Cooper drops the ball cold.
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| 40+1 |
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France win the scrum (feed most definitely crooked) and put the ball into touch. That's half-time. Looking forward to more of the same in the second stanza.
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| 41 |
25 - 6 |
Wonderful try after consistent possession once France had cleared kick-off, with Will Skelton dishing a lovely short ball to put Israel Folau into a gaping hole to run under the posts. Skelton looking as if he were born to play Test rugby.
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| 42 |
27 - 6 |
Foley - conversion
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| 44 |
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France continue to struggle for territory as they after tackled consistently behind the gain line. Offloads at the minute simply shifting the ball sidewards against solid defence with no holes.
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| 45 |
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Wesley Fofana spills the ball but Nic White elects to kick in behind rather than shifting the ball wide, and Australia miss an opportunity. White has made a couple of poor decisions to kick, and a couple of poor kicks.
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| 47 |
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France are trying to up the tempo but another loose carry leads to another turnover.
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| 48 |
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Ewen McKenzie on the sideline wants the Wallabies to increase the tempo of their game. Feels they've gone into their collective shell a little in since Folau's second try.
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| 49 |
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Maxime Machenaud snagged in possession behind a lineout, and the Wallabies effect a turnover and shift the ball wide through first phase to Izzy Folau on the left. Clearly still looking to attack.
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| 51 |
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Izzy Folau runs a clearing kick back but pass to Nick Cummins is poor, and a half-chance goes begging. Ewen McKenzie in sideline interview lamenting that players making things complicated. Got to do the simple things well, he says.
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| 53 |
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France spill the ball on attack and the Wallabies effect another turnover. Izzy Folau toes the ball ahead and Australia now deep in France 22 with France lineout. France take it quickly and attempt to counter, but Bernard Foley makes a key tackle to shut down the opportunity.
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| 54 |
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France penalised and Bernard Foley puts the ball into the corner for an attacking lineout 7 metres from the line. France win the lineout, but illegally, and Foley puts the ball back into touch.
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| 55 |
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France win the lineout again, this time legally, and clear their lines. Another lineout on France 22, and Australia will look to go again with a better result.
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| 56 |
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Win the ball off the top at the back but spill the ball midfield in first-phase attack. Few too many handling errors creeping into home team's play right now.
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| 57 |
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Another great bust from Wycliff Palu - who must rank highly in the Greg Growden Medal count on Monday - before good hands from Sekope Kepu keeps the attack going. But final pass from Izzy Folau goes straight into touch. Another mistake.
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| 59 |
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Mathieu Bastareaud knocks-on after a France lineout, and the game is just losing a little momentum and rhythm as the replacements come on.
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| 60 |
32 - 6 |
Kurtley Beale - one of the replacements - slices the French defence apart with a pass to Bernard Foley inside him; follow the play to collect a return pass and then feeds Michael Hooper to race away for the try.
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| 61 |
34 - 6 |
Ewen McKenzie wants better discipline to increase pressure in final quarter. He'll want another 50-point scoreline.
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| 62 |
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France kick over the top but the bounce eludes Yann Huget who had only to collect the ball to score. When your luck's out ...
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| 63 |
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Australia win the lineout on their line and go two-men out before clearing lines up towards 10m line.
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| 64 |
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Penalty Australia, and they kick for the corner. Big opportunity to set up a driving maul from 5m set-piece.
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| 65 |
34 - 13 |
Try France. Guilhem Guirado touches down after a driving maul from the lineout won at the back. Penny for your thoughts there, Ewen McKenzie!
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| 66 |
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| 67 |
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Kurtley Beale is looking really good in the No.12 spot. Inventive. And showing great acceleration to threaten and create holes in the line.
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| 68 |
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Lovely play from Australia and James Horwill busts a hole, but Tevita Kuridrani drops the ball from a lazy-looking showboat back-of-the-hand pass from Izzy Folau. Wallabies looking dangerous but equally they seem to have lost a little shape and structure, and Ewen McKenzie doesn't look best pleased on the sideline.
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| 71 |
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Strong scrum from Australia and France just shuffle the pill sideways under pressure before a slack forward pass to no-one from Mathieu Bastareaud.
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| 72 |
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Wallabies win the scrum with the backs all lined up right. The ball foes left but threat fades and France penalised for offside at the scrum. Kick for the corner and another attacking lineout.
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| 73 |
39 - 13 |
Wallabies win this lineout and drive to 5m. Win the breakdown but another attack ends in a penalty for offside. Nick Phipps takes a quick tap and scores after catching France unawares. Lazy defence. No more than Australia deserve even if their second 40 hasn't matched the quality and execution of the first.
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| 75 |
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Izzy Folau knocks on from the kick-off. Might be the first time I've seen him spill an aerial ball.
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| 76 |
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| 78 |
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Folau shells another high ball under the posts after France launch an attacking bomb - an old-fashioned garryowen if you will - but Mathieu Bastareaud knocks on and Australia win the follwoing scrum before putting the ball out.
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| 80 |
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Siren goes and France shell the ball backwards from the lineout. Tremendous victory from France, and they'll be looking forwards to facing New Zealand in six weeks.
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