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Hello everyone.
Welcome to our live coverage of the first of three Tests between Australia and France. The Wallabies are confident they can win the first Test under Stephen Moore's captaincy, but Farhan Shah has found a stat to lift a Frenchman or a Frenchwoman's mood.
While we're in pre-game mode, check out the following video to remind you why we talk of "French flair" and "French unpredictability".
Ewen McKenzie says "were' pretty happy" with the preparation. "We know the task in front of us."
John Eales says victory is important for Wallabies to continue momentum, but manner of construction of victory is more important to build towards RWC 2015.
This clip from the Australian Rugby Union will get you in the mood in the final 10 minutes before kick-off.
George Gregan says in a pre-match promo that the French have a phrase "Jen ne sais quoi ... which you can't really describe". Brilliant. Fell off my chair laughing. We know what you mean, George.
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| 1 |
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Powerful renditions of the respective national anthems, and now we're under way with Bernard Foley kicking off for Australia. Nice touches from Freddie Michalak early. Gael Fickou and Hugo Bonneval make half breaks for France, and Israel Folau for Australia. Nice start to the game.
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| 2 |
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Penalty to Australia after Nicolas Mas offside. Stephen Moore looking ginger with an early knee injury.
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| 3 |
3 - 0 |
Bernard Foley slots the goal from 24 metres directly in front.
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| 4 |
3 - 3 |
Australia spill the kick-off and France are straight on the front foot. Freddie Michalak levels the score with a drop goal off the left-hand post from the pocket.
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| 5 |
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Stephen Moore's first Test as captain ends prematurely with a knee injury. Tatafu Polota-Nau replaces him. Michael Hooper assumes the captaincy.
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| 7 |
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Penalty to France for "contact in the air" at a lineout. Play back inside Wallabies' 10 metres line.
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| 8 |
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Great break from France. Inside by from Michalak to Gael Fickou, and Yann Huget also involved, but Australia somehow defuse the raid.
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| 10 |
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Penalty Australia. Nicolas Mas penalised for losing his bind in the scrum.
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| 11 |
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Bernard Foley's kick slices onto the right upright.
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| 13 |
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Penalty France after Australia fail to scrummage straight. Play now deep in Australian territory.
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| 15 |
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Freddie Michalak kicks straight into touch from French 10m to cap a slightly scrappy spell.
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| 16 |
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Patient phases from the Wallabies using pick and drive. Penaly Australia after France leave feet at ruck. Ignore goal shot. Kick for corner and lineout.
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| 17 |
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Australia win the lineout and maul then move ball into midfield. France doing good job to slow ball.
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| 18 |
8 - 3 |
Try Australia: Israel Folau slices through defence on left flank after taking short pop ball from James Slipper. Lovely play Australia. Kept ball alive after France seemed to have stopped the momentum.
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| 20 |
10 - 3 |
Bernard Foley lands the extras from 5m inside touch.
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| 21 |
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Izzy Folau runs forward to collect short kick-off in thundering collision with a team-mate. Australia seem to be claiming dominance in territory and possession, gaining momentum with pick and drives.
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| 22 |
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Half-breaks from Rob Simmons and Bernard Foley. Firmly on attack with Nick Cummins stopped 5m short after kick through.
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| 23 |
15 - 3 |
Try Australia. Adam Ashley Cooper scores 27th Test try. Gael Fickou almost intercepted long flat ball, but pill rebounds to Matt Toomua who passes over his shoulder to Ashley-Cooper on the right touchline.
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| 24 |
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Bernard Folau misses the extras, hitting the right post again.
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| 26 |
15 - 6 |
Penalty France, and Freddie Michalak has no problem reducing the margin.
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| 28 |
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Penalty Australia. Nicolas Mas penalised again for losing his bind. This time on France put-in. Australian scrum performing well. Nic White to take this shot.
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| 29 |
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Nic White pulls his kick, shaves the left post from 10m line, 5m from touch.
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| 30 |
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Freddie Michalak clears his lines to roost ball to Wallabies 10m. Australia win lineout and drive a ball, but Nic White's box kick too long and Yann Huget marks. Kicks just to France 10m.
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| 31 |
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Big break midfield Australia after taking lineout ball off the top. Ball goes right and left.
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| 32 |
22 - 6 |
TMO judging try to Australia. Craig Joubert thinks forward ball. TMO not certain.
Try awarded. Michael Hooper galloped 30m after good hands from the backs. Tevita Kuridrani tipped final pass, but ball went backwards from hands. Bernard Foley slots the extras.
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| 33 |
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Australia firmly in control, and looking good for a comfortable victory. France have offered little after that encouraging start.
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| 34 |
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Wesley Fofana slices through a gap but spills the ball. Come back for a penalty at the previous maul from Wallabies lineout. Scott Fardy offside.
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| 36 |
22 - 9 |
Frederic Michalak lands the goal.
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| 37 |
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Quick thinking from Bernard Foley and Adam Ashley-Cooper to take quick lineout on halfway after clearing kick. Australia back on front foor inside France 22.
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| 38 |
27 - 9 |
Rob Simmons breaks but unsupported, France collect ball but then butcher the clearance, spilling ball in goal and Matt Toomua touches down after a pinball sequence. Comical but they all count.
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| 39 |
29 - 9 |
Bernard Foley slots the extras.
Australia have all the momentum while France look pretty flat. Half-time can't come quickly enough for Les Bleus.
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| 40 |
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That's the siren, and Australia well on target for a comprehensive victory.
Michael Hooper says "we're recycling the ball quickly" and he's very happy. Justifiably so.
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| 40 |
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We're back underway, and France looking to start as they did the first stanza. Nice skills from Hugo Bonneval with a chip and collect, but the phases come to an end as France penalised for not releasing the ball in a ruck. Good work Scott Fardy.
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| 42 |
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Australia win another lineout easily 30m from whitewash, and France do well to pull down Tevita Kuridrani from a short ball. Penalty France for not releasing. And we're 5m inside Wallabies territory. France making harder contact in the loose that in first 40. Got to keep up that intensity.
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| 44 |
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France up to 16 phases, and Gael Fickou puts on some footwork.
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| 45 |
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France up to 19 phases by Thomas Domingo drops the ball cold out wide. For all the ball they had, they basically went nowhere. Good defence Wallabies. Good discipline.
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| 47 |
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Australia back on front foot after Wycliff Pali charges from the back of a scrum. Spilled ball both ways and they game a little scrappy. France going backwards.
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| 48 |
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Poor clearing kick and Izzy Folau runs back.
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| 49 |
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Australian attack breaks down after a short pop ball to no one from Bernard Foley. Seem to lack a little of the fluency of the first half.
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| 50 |
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France in possession but ball is slow and static hence they're making no progress apart from individual breaks.
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| 51 |
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Driven backwards by solid defence. Michalak tries a chip kick to get on front foot, but Bernard Foley defuses and the Wallabies take the ball right.
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| 52 |
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Ewen McKenzie says from sideline he wants basics to be done well, and he expects replacements to make an impact.
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| 53 |
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Australia firmly on attack and Nick Cummins pulled up short. Tevita Kuridrani short and Adam Ashley Cooper then short after sparking the attack with a break. TMO adjudicating whether Michalak effected a tackle from offside position. Assistant referee said "penalty try". Michalak was certainly offside and Ashley-Cooper would surely have crossed without his help in the tackle. Ball was certainly held up over the line. Craig Joubert and TMO say Michalak was onside hence ball held up over the line and mo try. Five-metre scrum. Sometimes you wonder what footage the TMOs are watching.
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| 54 |
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Australia's penalised for hitting and chasing on the scrum. France clear up towards 10m line.
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| 55 |
34 - 9 |
Fantastic try Nick Cummins. Decoy play that saw Toomua feed Ashley-Cooper inside to feed Folau on angled run outside and then pop to Cummins switching back inside. Tremendous move, and the Wallabies are looking sharp.
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| 56 |
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Bernard Foley lands the extras from 10m inside touch.
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| 57 |
36 - 9 |
Foley - conversion
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| 58 |
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France drive a maul from a 5m lineout after Wallabies conceded a penalty.
Tremendous defence from Australia and Bernard le Roux spills the ball forward under heavy contact. Wallabies will not want their line crossed.
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| 59 |
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Penalty France after Tevita Kuridrani fails to roll away after heavy tackle. France back on Australia 5m line for another lineout.
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| 61 |
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France win the line and take the ball to midfield, but they are looking unthreatening.
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| 62 |
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Australia force the mistake and attack from inside their own 22 through Folau, Kuridrani and Ashley Cooper.
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| 63 |
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Damien Chouly makes a break and France move the ball right only to see the move halted by an obstruction.
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| 64 |
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What difference will the Top 14 final players make to France next week? Not sure it can be enough.
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| 65 |
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Australia back on the attack through Michael Hooper and Sam Carter, but Paddy Ryan enters the breakdown from the side to relieve the pressure.
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| 67 |
41 - 9 |
Super try Kurtley Beale, who feeds a long pass to Tevita Kuridrani, who ghosts through a half-gap wide in the defence. Beale follows the play and accepts a no-look pop pass from Kuridrani.
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| 68 |
43 - 9 |
Bernard Foley kicks the conversion.
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| 70 |
48 - 9 |
Try Pat McCabe after a length-of-the-field break from Israel Folau, who stood up Wesley Fofana. Too easy for Australia, and France are being routed.
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| 71 |
50 - 9 |
Bernard Foley converts, and we're left to wonder what else can happen in the remaining 10 minutes.
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| 72 |
50 - 14 |
France straight on the attack from the kick-off and the TMO is involved. Referee Craig Joubert "believes a try has been scored". Desperate defence from Australia and Ben McCalman seems to have stopped the attack. Referee sees it differently and awards the five-pointer. Michalak converts.
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| 73 |
50 - 16 |
Michalak - conversion
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| 74 |
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France back on he attack after effecting a turnover but they knock-on.
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| 75 |
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Half-breaks put Wesley Fofana with a run to the line, but he drops the ball forward to continue an unfortunate evening.
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| 77 |
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France kick the ball too long, the pill rolling over touch in-goal so we go back to the France 10m line.
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| 78 |
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Scrum penalty against Paddy Ryan for standing in the scrum. Game winding down.
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| 79 |
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Big bust from Rabah Slimani through the back of a ruck, but Australia somehow hold up Damien Chouly from the following maul.
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| 80+1 |
50 - 21 |
France scrum on Australia 5m, and they are awarded a penalty try. Good finish from France, and they can take something from that.
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| 80+2 |
50 - 23 |
Michalak converts. Disappointing finish from Australia but a sound opening performance of the season.
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