The Wallabies were slammed following their dour 6-0 win in last weekend’s second Test in Melbourne, but they responded with a five-tries-to-one performance that secured a seventh-straight Test triumph.

Israel Folau scored a double, while lock Will Skelton also crossed the stripe in his Test debut.

Skelton made his presence felt, as he not only scored a try but also laid on one for Folau with a deft pass.

The towering 22-year-old lock received a standing ovation from the home crowd as he was replaced by James Horwill midway through the second half.

The Wallabies were always in command and played with more verve from the kick-off to clinch the series after winning the opening Test 50-23 in Brisbane.

It was the first time since 2000 that the Wallabies have won seven consecutive Tests, while the French are still searching for their first win in Australia since 1990.

While Skelton grabbed the headlines, Folau’s two tries took his tally to 13 tries in 18 Tests and fly half Bernard Foley kicked four conversions and two penalties.

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Form Guide

Australia WWWWWW, France LLLWLL

It’s a return to the amateur days of Test rugby as the scarves and jackets are swapped for sunglasses and hats with the return of an afternoon fixture. The Wallabies played Wales at Allianz Stadium at the same time two years ago and while that game failed to deliver a spectacle worthy of the strong crowd, hopes are high that running rugby will dominate this time around.

A dead rubber? Granted, the series is done and dusted. But there’s still plenty for both sides to play for, not least of which the Wallabies who’d hate to see their six-game run come to an end and the momentum of the last few weeks squandered.

France meanwhile are staring down the barrel of a fourth straight loss and won’t want to dwell on that inglorious run while sunning themselves by the beach in Biarritz. Last week’s dour slog infuriated fans at Etihad Stadium but it was a much-improved performance from the visitors and one they’ll look to build on come Saturday. 

The return of Thierry Dusautoir to the pack and Mathieu Bastareaud to the backs stiffened their defensive resolve but the fact they were held to zero for just the fifth time in the last 50 years – and first ever by Australia – is a major concern. We’re always hearing about the French flair – we need to see it on Saturday.

Australia, too, were unable to find the tryline last week and had to rely on a penalty each from Nic White and Bernard Foley to see off Les Bleus in Melbourne. They did score seven tries the week before however, and coach Ewen McKenzie is confident they can again rediscover that impressive attack.

Only a few tickets are left and with a sunny afternoon forecast it could well be a memorable afternoon at Moore Park. 

KEY MATCHUPS

Bernard Foley v Remi Tales

Ewen McKenzie could have been forgiven for giving Kurtley Beale the chance to stake a claim for the No.10 jersey but in a major sign of faith, the Wallabies coach has stuck solid with Foley and anointed him as his first option for The Rugby Championship.

That doesn’t mean Foley is beyond reproach however, and he needs a solid performance this week to repay McKenzie’s belief. France employed a rush defence last week to close down the Wallabies’ options out wide and that combined with Foley’s relatively flat alignment seemed to stutter the No.10’s game.

As well as a rush defense, France defended a majority of the game with the wings up. This opened up a lot of space at the back which wasn’t utilized by Foley. If you can’t go around or through the defense, you have to go over.  If France go to this defensive structure again, short attacking kicks behind the line is the way to combat that.

We saw in the first game, an attacking kick inside the 22 nearly lead to a try, only denied by a 50/50 refereeing call. We will need to see more of this from Foley in the third test to avoid another dull affair.

French coach Philippe Saint-Andre has retained Tales at No.10 after a solid outing in Melbourne. The Racing Metro No.10 mixed his game up nicely and provided one of the match’s few highlights when he laid on a break for hooker Guilhem Guirado.

The extra week’s training for Tales, Wesley Fofana and Mathieu Bastareaud should also see the French backs at their best this week, providing they come with an attacking attitude.

Will Skelton v Yoann Maestri

Another week, another Wallaby debutant at lock. This time it’s New Zealand-born giant Will Skelton who at 135kg and two-metres plus has to be among the biggest players in world rugby.

Contrary to popular belief, Skelton has been selected for his skill more so than his size. McKenzie admitted to being impressed with his sleight of hand at the Waratahs, and it’s that offload ability and what looks to be a fine understanding of the game that has many excited.

The structure of the Wallabies lineout will be something to keep an eye on though with Skelton doing little jumping for the Waratahs this season.

On the other side of the ledger is Maestri who lines up in the No.5 shirt for the third straight Test. The French lock had a game-high seven lineout wins last week but his impact elsewhere around the park has been limited.

Look to Skelton for a strong debut.

Our Prediction

With France showing a lot more heart in the second test, we don’t expect this game to be a blow out, but we don’t think it’ll be as boring as the last.

Foley and Toomua showed a lack of experience in how to deal with the French defensive structure, no doubt McKenzie and the Wallabies brains trust have addressed this issue and if France employ the same tactics again, we’ll see some very different tactics by the Wallabies inside backs.

Even with the addition of France’s major attacking weapons, they showed little that threatened the Wallabies.

We think the Wallabies will win by 12

Teams

Wallabies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3.Sekope Kepu, 4. Rob Simmons, 5. Will Skelton, 6. Scott Fardy, 7. Michael Hooper, 8. Wycliff Palu, 9. Nic White, 10. Bernard Foley, 11. Nick Cummins, 12. Matt Toomua, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 14. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 15. Israel Folau

Bench: 16. Nathan Charles, 17. Scott Sio, 18. Laurie Weeks, 19. James Horwill, 20. Ben McCalman, 21. Nick Phipps, 22. Kurtley Beale, 23. Rob Horne

France: 1. Alexandre Menini, 2. Guilhem Guirado, 3. Rabah Slimani, 4. Alexandre Flanquart, 5. Yoann Maestri, 6. Thierry Dusautoir, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8. Damien Chouly, 9. Morgan Parra, 10. Remi Tales, 11. Hugo Bonneval, 12. Wesley Fofana, 13. Mathieu Bastareaud, 14. Yoann Huget, 15. Brice Dulin

Bench: Christopher Tolofua, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Bernard Le Roux, Louis Picamoles, Yannick Nyanga, Maxime Machenaud, Remi Lamerat.

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Even Izzy struggled to make an impact on the French defensive line

Playing in Melbourne, heartland of Australian Rules football, the Wallabies appeared determined to kick away possession, but derived little advantage from the tactic, and blew several promising drives with poor execution.

France executed the first promising move, however, a kick forward in the third minute sparking a foot-race between Foley and French full-back Brice Dulin to the line, but the Wallabies fly half prevailed by inches to cut off the chance.

The Wallabies were controversially denied what would have been the match’s opening try to number eight Ben McCalman on video review in the 22nd minute, prompting howls of derision from the stands.

Arguably the most exciting moment of the match came when Hugart got into a scuffle with Nick Cummins.

The French offered very little on attack, even when throwing the ball around in their carefree French style, it never really appeared to be anything the Wallabies defense couldn’t handle. The French spent most of the match defending with their wings up in the line. Which is what limited the Wallabies in attack.

If you can’t go around, you must either go through or over. With Les Bleus defense in the midfield near impeccable, the Wallabies needed to employ a kicking game. Yet with 14 players in the French line, their kicking options were poor.

Mid field bombs and long range kicks straight to the opponent is not what was needed. More attacking kicks, cross field and over the line, making the French pack, and their big midfielders turn and chance is what should have been employed. There was a complete lack of attacking kicking from the Wallabies.

Bernard Foley failed to identify where the space was and utilize it. As a result, the game was a grind. And not exactly enjoyable to watch.

The French were being dominated by the Wallabies channel one defense, but did the French look for a new tactic? No. For some strange reason they stuck with the one out plays. Possibly shifting their first receiver wider or a more direct pick and drive style would have been better options given the Wallabies defense. Even some outside-inside moves would have created more space for their forward runners.

As a result, the French lost a lot of ground and constantly found themselves on the back foot in attack.

A rather dour match, but never the less, the Wallabies have secured the series with a 6-0 victory.

Highlights

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France ring in the changes for game two

Vice-captain Adam Ashley-Cooper, in reference to Robbie Deans conservative approach to the game said confidence and enjoyment are where the Wallabies are different this year.

“I’m really enjoying my football and that’s what it probably comes down to. Many years ago there was a lot of fear and a lot of conservative approaches to Test football, in not wanting to make mistakes, but now the fear’s gone and when you’re enjoying your football you’re playing really good football, and I think that’s we’re I’m at at the moment personally.” 

And there shouldn’t be any shortage of confidence in this Wallabies team following their 50-23 demolition of Le Bleus last Saturday.

The Wallabies played well, but it’s hard to tell just how well. You can only put in a performance to the level your opposition allows you to, but it’s hard to tell given the poor performance by France.

This week, we should get a better idea just where the Wallabies are at, with Saint-Andre ringing in 10 changes to the French line-up. It’s worth pointing out that the French were resting all their stars from the Top14 final the week before hand, and underestimating this team could prove dangerous.

Kurtley Beale and mates celebrating scoring a try in the first test

In response to the below par performance, Saint-Andre has brought in captain fantastic, Thierry Dusautoir as well as the 115kg monster outside centre, Mathieu Bastareaud. Just the inclusion of those two alone will give the French a boost.

Bastareaud has a lot of motivation to play, taking last weeks loss personally,

“It’s like a slap when you take 50 points. On the pitch you feel helpless…and doubly helpless in the stands. We want to play, avenge the insult.”

In the first test, the it was widely believed the French would dominate at scrum time, and it wasn’t until Paddy Ryan came off the bench that you could claim they had anything like the dominance that was expected. As a result, Paddy Ryan has been dropped from the Wallabies bench to make way for Laurie Weeks on debut. And Les Bleus tight head prop and captain from the previous week, Nicholas Mas finds himself on the pine.

Saint-Andre has also installed a stronger halves combination in Morgan Parra and Remi Tales. Parra came on with 10 minutes to go in Brisbane, and was instrumental in getting his team moving in the right direction, as well as scoring a try himself.

McKenzie’s men has no shortage of motivation themselves, a sixth consecutive win would be their longest winning streak since 2005 – pre Robbie Deans.

With Stephen Moore’s captaincy lasting just five minutes, Michael Hooper becomes the Wallabies 82nd captain and will lead a team which had just three changes.

A lot will reply on Adam Ashley-Cooper in this game

As well as Weeks coming in on the bench, James Horwill gets promoted to the starting team, replacing last week’s man-of-the-match, Sam Carter. Inspirational hooker, Nathan Charles comes into the bench for Moore, with Polota-Nau in the starting team.

Key Match-Ups

Centres
Two monsters in the midfield, Bastareaud at 115kg and Kuridrani at 105kg. Both are capable of hitting a hole, but both also love to dominate, and we can expect some monumental collisions. While Kuridrani is a smash mouth centre, Bastareaud does have a little more tact to his game as well.

Where as at 12, while Fofana generally looks for opportunities for himself and the player immediately outside of him, Toomua is more like a second player maker and will look further afield for where the ball needs to be.

While Adam Ashley-Cooper is named on the wing, in Brisbane, we saw AAC sliding inside of Cummins on the left to act as a third centre on set plays, which worked to devastating effect, directly involved in three of the Wallabies tries.

While the French centres are talented individually, they don’t have the ability to match the Aussies in the midfield. The Vision of Toomua, with the hard running of Kuridrani and the hole hitting ability of Ashley-Cooper, gives the Wallabies the edge.

France will be looking for a vastly improved performance

Front Row
Wane Barnes has the whistle for the second test, and he generally awards penalties to the dominant scrum. Once Barnes has decided which scrum is dominant, it can be very difficult to convince him otherwise. So it’s very important for both teams to gain the edge early on.

When Saint-Andre was looking for areas his team had the edge over the Wallabies before the tour, the scrum would have received a big tick. And when his side failed to gain any real dominance in that area in Brisbane, it’s not really a surprise the French boss wielded the axe on his front row.

Nicholas Mas – widely regarded as the best tight head in the game – finds himself on the bench to make way for Alexandre Menini on debut.

The Wallabies scrum held together well last week with Slipper, Polota-Nau and Kepu, but with Paddy Ryan’s poor performance coming off the bench with 10 minutes to go, it’s not surprise to see him out of the match day 23 this week. In comes the experienced Laruie Weeks.

The French traditionally likes to ‘squeeze-in’ on the opposition hooker, and if the French gain dominance in Barnes’ eyes early on, the Wallabies won’t be able to rely on him to call penalties when it happens. A solid start for both teams in the scrum is a must.

Our Prediction

Even with the French making mass changes to their starting team, we still can’t see them getting on top of the Wallabies. While it will be a closer battle in the forwards with the addition of Dusautoir, and tougher in the backline with Bastareaud, Tales and Parra, they are still not in the class of the Wallabies with the likes of Toomua, AAC, Cummins, Folau and Hooper.

The French have too much passion to let another scoreline blow out happen again, but I can’t see in injection of a handful of stars making a 30-point difference.

While we don’t expect it to be as big a win as it was in Brisbane, we still expect the Wallabies to be too strong.

Wallabies by 12

Teams

Australia 15-Israel Folau, 14-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13-Tevita Kuridrani, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Nick Cummins, 10-Bernard Foley, 9-Nic White, 8-Ben McCalman, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Scott Fardy, 5-James Horwill, 4-Rob Simmons, 3-Sekope Kepu, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-James Slipper

Bench 16-Nathan Charles, 17-Pek Cowan, 18-Laurie Weeks, 19-Luke Jones, 20-Scott Higginbotham, 21-Nick Phipps, 22-Kurtley Beale, 23-Pat McCabe

France 15-Brice Dulin, 14-Yoann Huget, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Wesley Fofana, 11-Maxime Medard, 10-Remi Tales, 9-Morgan Parra, 8-Damien Chouly, 7-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 6-Yannick Nyanga, 5-Yoann Maestri, 4-Alexandre Flanquart, 3-Rabah Slimani, 2-Guilhem Guirado, 1-Alexandre Menini

Bench 16-Brice Mach, 17-Thomas Domingo, 18-Nicolas Mas, 19-Bernard Le Roux, 20-Louis Picamoles, 21-Antoine Burban, 22-Frederic Michalak, 23-Remi Lamerat

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