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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second Test between Australia and France, under the root at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Australia fans will want a similar performance to that in Brisbane but surely the France side featuring Thierry Dusautoir among 10 changes to the starting XV will prove more competitive.
The Australian Rugby Union must be very disappointed with the crowd at Etihad Stadium. The Wallabies deserve better in a home Test.
Ewen McKenzie expects France to be more direct and more physical in Melbourne. He says the Wallabies were good in Brisbane, but they're looking to polish up aspects.
Philippe Saint-Andre expects his side to be more organised in defence. Says better defence will eliminate much of the advantage that Australia enjoyed last week.
Anthems coming up soon. Will Michael Hooper hop around or will he simply wiggle his toes?
Sparse crowd but plenty of noise as the teams canter out. James Horwill leads out Australia ahead of his 50th Test
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| 1 |
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Here we go. Australia kick off through Bernard Foley. France collect and clear but they allow Israel Folau space to run on the left. Stronf ruck work from the Wallabies to set up phases. Scott Fardy prominent early.
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| 2 |
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Australia still in possession, up to 13 phases. Folau involved left and right, but they lose possession through a loose ball. Great kick through and Dulin races though after the ball but Foley just beats him.
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| 3 |
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France looking strong in possession. Good busts from Chouly before the ball comes right. Strong start from France hooker Guilhem Guirado.
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| 4 |
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Ewen McKenzie wants his team to offer more respect for France. Says they're going "lateral, lateral, lateral, got to be better than that".
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| 6 |
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Penalty France. High tackled from James Horwill on Brice Dulin.
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| 7 |
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France kick penalty from halfway inside Australia 22, and win lineout. Move ball to midfield, but Wallabies force turnover in the loose and Matt Toomua clears to halfway.
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| 8 |
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Lineout not straight and Wallabies have a scrum. Couple of scrappy set-pieces before Wallabies penalised. Slipper lost bind.
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| 11 |
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Physical contest at the breakdown in the Wallabies 22 after a half-bust from Mathieu Bastareaud
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| 12 |
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Seven phases but France knock-on. Australian scrum.
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| 13 |
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Much better set-piece and Australia clear to 10m, where France win lineout and test short-side defence. enalised for holding on to the ball at the ruck. France are really contesting the breakdown this week.
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| 15 |
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Morgan Parra clears a ruck only to find Israel Folau, who shimmies past a couple before aAustralia are penalised for joining the breakdown from an offside position,Brice Dulin going for goal from inside his own half.
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| 16 |
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Dulin had the distance but not the direction. Still 0-0.
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| 17 |
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The match is yet to establish a pattern or a tempo. Stop-start with penalties and errors, latest being French knock-on in the backs inside Australian territory.
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| 19 |
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Strong Australian scrum on halfway but attack comes to nought with a poor first-phase kick from Bernard Foley.
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| 20 |
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Kicks back and force from either side before Israel Folau has a run to halfway and brings the crowd to life.
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| 21 |
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Try Australia. Ben McCalaman touches down a chip kick from Matt Toomua. TMO adjudicating if Matt Toomua challenged Brice Dulin without the ball. Referee Wayne Barnes keen to award the score but Vinny Munro showing another angle. No try. Vinny Munro has found contact from Toomua on Dulin. 0-0.
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| 22 |
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Mathieu Bastareaud batters for 5m gain through inside centre channel from lineout off the top at the back. France have a structure that was not evident in Brisbane.
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| 23 |
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Wallabies break though a French maul from a lineout. Strong work from the oft-maligned pack. Third ruck and maul turnover this week, and Scott Fardy really adding edge to the forwards.
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| 25 |
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Scrum reset, James Slipper lost his footing on the loose-head but Sekope Kepu very strong tight-head.
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| 26 |
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Wallabies win the scrum and go through phases to right before Nic White grubber-kick inside France 22. Wallabies really trying to establish a platform, but France denying them momentum.
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| 27 |
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Very different tonight. Box kick from Nic hite on halfway but Huget coellects and France recycle.
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| 28 |
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Israel Folau very strong on the right to get Australia back in France territory. Involved twice with Scott fardy after fielding kick. France penalised for not releasing a player in the ruck.
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| 29 |
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Wallabies ignore goal kick to go for the corner, but Matt Toomua kicks dead. Scrum France back on 10m.
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| 30 |
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Wayne Barnes telling both hookers to wait for the ball. Ewen McKenzie saying Wallabies hips too high on engagement. Must get lower.
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| 31 |
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France penalty after Jsmes Slipper lost his bind again. Still neither side in ascendancy but France just beginning to get on time in scrums.
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| 32 |
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James Horwill steals key lineout deep in Australia territory and the teams are kack kicking for territory in a game of forcings back. Really not the sort of game to inspire more love for rugby in Melbourne,
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| 33 |
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Another strong scrum but Australia held the push. France win the kicking exchange however and back on Australia 10m. Shape of game illustrated by fact Folau has kicked more than he's run.
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| 35 |
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Penalty France. Contact in the air at the lineout. Morgan Parra going for goal. 15m in from touch 40m from goal. Pulls the kick and we're still 0-0. Game continues between the 22s.
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| 37 |
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Yannick Nyamga charges down kick from Matt Toomua but knocks on attempting to gather the ball with the line begging.
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| 38 |
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Adam Ashley-Cooper takes his first pass of the night.
Ben McCalman penalised for rolling into Parra at a maul.
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| 39 |
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France driving mauls on the Australia 22, and this really is a game of inches.
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| 40 |
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Penalty Australia after Mathieu Bastareaud isolated. Half-time 0-0. Game of few if any highlights.
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France kick off the second half though Remi Tales.Penalty Australia with France offside behind the breakdown. Going for goal from just outside 10m 15m inside touch.
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| 41 |
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Nic White pushes the kick right and lacks the distance 0-0. Oh dear!
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| 42 |
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Australia collect the restart and claim another penalty after France infringe at the breakdown. Nic White going for goal again.
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| 43 |
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Nic White hits the post from 45m but Australia collect the rebound with a great chase from Adam Ashley-Cooper and tevita Kuridrani . Fail to make the most of it and Yann Huget and Nick Ciummins have a little altercation. Handbags.
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| 45 |
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Nic White tries a snipe on shortside but held up without crossing advantage line and now Australia conceded a penalty at the breakdown.
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| 46 |
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Remi Tales hoists a midfield bomb from 15m in the pocket meaning all chasers offside. Adam Ashley-Cooper claims the mark and roosts the pill back to the 10m.
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| 48 |
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Australia on front foot but Bernard Foley kicks behind defence. France lineout inside their own 22, and they win the set-piece and maul on short side. Scott Fardy shuts down the drive, and Australia have a scrum.
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| 50 |
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Australia put phases together from the scrum.
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| 51 |
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Australia go for goal after French penalty. Boos ring out from the crowd. Bernard Foley 15m in from touch just over 22.
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| 52 |
3 - 0 |
At last we have points. Bernard Foley goes over the black dot.
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| 53 |
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Ewen McKenzie says will continue to play for territory but laments silly errors and penalties.
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| 55 |
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Back deep in French territory after more kicking. Australia penalised for contact in the air at the lineout to relieve the pressure. That'd be one of the silly errors and penalties to which Link referred.
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| 57 |
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Huge midfield bust from Guilhem Guirado after a dummy inside but he passes forward to Fofana on the 22.
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| 58 |
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Strong scrum from Australia, and they have levelled the dominance France seemed to be claiming earlier.
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| 59 |
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France win the lineout but their eighth handling error gifts a scrum to Australia. Former ballboy Luke Jones replaces James Horwill to make his test debut. Straight into the scrum. Really strong set-piece and Australia win a penalty. Sekope Kepu is producing a man-of-the-match performance at tight-head.
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| 60 |
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France win the Australian lineout, but three phases later Australia turnover the French ball.
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| 61 |
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Kurtley Beale goes for an extravagent kick-pass from one side of the field to the other but Rob Simmons just can't claim. Back for the penalty and Australia go for the corner.
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| 62 |
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Win the lineout but the concede a penalty at the ruck. Great work from Thierry Dusautoir but Australia slow to get to the ball.
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| 63 |
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France lose lineout and then concede a penalty for offside. France on a final warning from Wayne Barnes. Funny how Barnes started in French but then seem to run out of language and reverted to English.
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| 64 |
6 - 0 |
Nic White is on target and Australia have a little more breathing space.
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| 66 |
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Scott Fardy departs after a strong shift on the side of the scrum. Scott Higginbotham offers something different. Strong scrum from France but they spill the ball. Matt Toomua toes the ball forward but Adam Ashley-Cooper knocks on trying to collect the ball and slide over the line. 5m scrum France.
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| 68 |
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Australia lineout 10m from the line. Poor clearing kick from France under pressure after strong Australia scrum.
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| 69 |
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Penalty Australia after Bernard le Roux collapses a maul. Wayne Barnes lives up to threat of yellow card.
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| 70 |
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Nic White pulls his kick horribly and France are still within a converted try.
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| 71 |
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Scrum France after Adam Ashley-Cooper knocks-on a poor pass from Kurtley Beale. Chance set up by another half-break on the opposite flank from Israel Folau.
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| 73 |
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France defending off their line strongly and Australia are going nowhere.
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| 74 |
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Penalty France. Australia failed to release when isolated at a ruck.
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| 75 |
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Two more debutants enter the fray. Both in the front-row. Great work from Michael Hooper to steal ball at France lineout.
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| 76 |
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Back into France territory after another penalty, Matt Toomua roosting the ball to the 10m. Ewen Mckenzie lamenting lack of tempo against 14 men.
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| 77 |
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France steal the ball and break out through the backs up to Australia's 10m.
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| 78 |
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Combining well for five phases but loose control behind a ruck and Toomua hoofs the ball into touch on the full.
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| 79 |
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France on Australia 22 but again lose control of the ball behind he ruck. Kurtley Beale claims the ball and Matt Toomua kicks deep into France territory. Yann Huget breaks but a knock on then Israel Folau knocks on coming the other way.
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| 80 |
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France have the ball on Australia's 10m after the siren.
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| 80+1 |
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Penalty Australia after holding on at the breakdown. Matt Toomua puts the ball into touch, and that's all she wrote. Australia have won their sixth Test in succession, and their 10th in succession at home to France, and that's 80 minutes of my life I'll never get back. To the match report. Thanks for your company.
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