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France thrashes Australia in last match before Rugby World Cup

by Abbey Fall
29/08/2023

France defeated Australia 41-17 in their final warm-up match before the Rugby World Cup. The match was played at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday, August 27, 2023.

France started the match well and took the lead in the second minute through a penalty from Thomas Ramos. Australia responded with a penalty of their own from Carter Gordon, but France quickly regained the lead with a try from Jonathan Danty. Ramos converted the try to give France a 7-3 lead.

Australia scored the next try through Mark Nawaqanitawase, but Gordon missed the conversion. Ramos then kicked three penalties to extend France’s lead to 16-5 at halftime.

The second half was all France. They scored two more tries through Damian Penaud and Gabin Villière, while Ramos kicked another penalty. Australia scored a late try through Suliasi Vunivalu, but it was too little too late.

France’s victory was a major boost ahead of the World Cup. They will be looking to build on this performance when they face New Zealand in their opening match on September 8.

Here are some additional details from the match:

  • France made a number of changes to their starting lineup, with Matthieu Jalibert starting at fly-half and Cameron Woki coming in at lock.
  • Australia were without a number of key players, including Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi, and Michael Hooper.
  • The match was played in wet and windy conditions, which made it difficult for both teams to play their attacking game.
  • France were the better team on the day and deserved their victory. They were more clinical in attack and their defense was solid.

The match was also notable for the performance of Damian Penaud. The French winger scored two tries and was a constant threat throughout the match. He is one of the players to watch at the World Cup this year.

Overall, it was a good performance from France in their final warm-up match. They will be confident of challenging for the World Cup title this year.

Here are some other things to note about the match:

  • France’s captain, Antoine Dupont, was outstanding. He was involved in most of France’s good attacking play and his passing was superb.
  • Australia’s discipline was poor. They conceded 13 penalties, which gave France a lot of opportunities to score points.
  • The match was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 80,000 at the Stade de France. The atmosphere was electric and the crowd really got behind France.

France’s victory was a huge boost for their confidence ahead of the World Cup. They are now one of the favorites to win the tournament.