France vs Australia LIVE rugby: Result and final score as late Damian Penaud try snatches victory
The Wallabies led late after impressive tries from Lalakai Foketi and Jock Campbell, but Damian Penaud’s brilliance seized the win for the French at the death
Damian Penaud scored a late try to give France a hard-fought record 11th consecutive victory as they beat Australia 30-29 at the Stade de France in their autumn international on Saturday.
The Wallabies’ Lalakai Foketi scored a sensational try and Jock Campbell added another with Bernard Foley kicking the rest of the points for the visitors, who did a great job at keeping France‘s mercurial scrumhalf Antoine Dupont in check.
Fabien Galthie’s side however ground through the game and winger Penaud scored the winner to add to Julien Marchand’s try, while Thomas Ramos’s metronomic boot secured their other points.
France, who take on South Africa in Marseille next Saturday, improved on their record of consecutive victories that dated back to the 1930s.
Having not played together since the last Six Nations tournament as the squad who toured Japan in July was largely reshuffled, France lacked their usual bite but somehow pulled off a victory after a rough battle.
Australia, who had recalled experienced flyhalf Foley in August, defended stoutly and attacked when it mattered, only losing their way in the final five minutes.
Foley put the visitors ahead with an early penalty as Australia started strongly, only for Ramos to cancel out the advantage with a 30-metre penalty and then give Les Bleus the lead with a 48-metre kick.
After Foley’s second penalty, France touched down through Charles Ollivon, only for the try to be ruled out for a double movement. Minutes later, Australia effectively scored the first try at the end of a blistering counter attack, Foketi diving over after collecting Tom Wright’s pass inside the French 22.
France had a spell of domination and were rewarded with two Ramos penalties but for the first time in four years Les Bleus faced the prospect of being behind at halftime at the Stade de France.
However, Marchand scored a pivotal try in stoppage time from a strong ruck and Ramos added the extra points to give France a six-point lead at the interval with the score at 19-13.
Foley and Ramos traded penalties early in the second half, but Australia struck the first blow when Campbell went over after a fine collective move before Foley converted to give the Wallabies a one-point advantage and fresh momentum.
Foley kicked for three points again before Ramos also did so and, with five minutes left, Hodge added another penalty to leave France with a try to score for a win that looked elusive. But Penaud beat two tackles to touch down with four minutes left and gave his team another confidence boost a year before the World Cup on home soil.
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
The stirring sound of the Principality Stadium in full voice, “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau” bouncing around the great Cardiff amphitheatre. Rio Dyer and Sam Costelow add their voice to a senior Welsh national anthem for the first time as they prepare to make their test rugby bows.
Anthems
With the tributes concluded with a round of warm, loving applause, into the anthems, starting with “God Defend New Zealand”. Aaron Smith looks high up into the stands - a proud day for the scrum-half, passing his former half-back partner Dan Carter as the most capped All Black back. Sean Fitzpatrick, whose father was part of the last New Zealand side to be beaten by Wales, is among those watching on the stands.
Wales vs New Zealand
Ahead of kick off, tributes to two Welsh greats - Phil Bennett and Eddie Butler, who have both sadly passed since Wales last played in Cardiff. Butler’s brilliant deep purr soundtracks the video package, with memories of the pair on and off the field - two dearly missed figures.
Out come the teams
The Principality Stadium, with roof closed, looks to be absolutely bouncing for Wales’ November 2022 debut - can the home side produce a first win over the All Blacks since 1953? Justin Tipuric’s long locks are warmed by the flames and the fireworks as he leads his Welsh side out.
Team News - New Zealand
The All Blacks narrowly escaped Tokyo with a win last week, continuing a strange, middling year for Ian Foster’s side. They travelled to Europe shorn of their captain – Sam Cane has fractured his cheekbone – while Brodie Retallick’s sending off leaves Foster without another forward pillar.
Sam Whitelock captains the side in the second row, toiling away in the engine room with Scott Barrett, who starts alongside both of his brothers. Jordie continues his evolution into an international inside centre, while Beauden is at full-back with Will Jordan another ruled out for the rest of November. Aaron Smith surpasses Dan Carter as New Zealand’s most capped international back.
New Zealand: B Barrett; S Reece, R Ioane, J Barrett, C Clarke; R Mo’unga, A Smith; E de Groot, C Taylor, T Lomax; S Whitelock (capt.), S Barrett; S Frizell, D Papali’i, A Savea.
Replacements: S Taukei’aho, O Tu’ungafasi, F Newell, T Vaa’i, A Ioane; B Weber, D Havili, A Lienert-Brown.
Team News - Wales
A new captain for Wales, with Justin Tipuric taking the reins with no Dan Biggar. The skipper is positioned on the blindside, combining with fellow snaffler Tommy Reffell in a disruptive back row in a pack that also includes Ken Owens – the hooker has endured a tough eleven months but adds no shortage of steel and experience on his return.
Rio Dyer is in at the deep end on debut on the wing, with Wayne Pivac talking up the 22-year-old’s “confidence” in the week, while Leigh Halfpenny is a late withdrawal after his hamstring issue. Gareth Anscombe moves back from fly-half to full-back, Rhys Priestland is promoted to the starting side, and Sam Costelow awaits a first cap from the bench.
Wales: Anscombe; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Dyer; Priestland, T Williams; Thomas, Owens, Francis, Rowlands, Beard, Tipuric (capt.), Reffell, Faletau.
Replacements: Elias, Smith, Lewis, Jones, Tshiunza, Hardy, Costelow, Watkin.
On to Wales vs New Zealand
It is a properly hectic afternoon of rugby - we’ll have a load more reaction to Scotland’s win across the rest of the weekend, but kick off is swiftly approaching in Cardiff.
F/T! SCOTLAND 28-12 FIJI
Far from perfect for Scotland, but a solid enough win, recovering from a sloppy opening half hour to tighten up defensively and eventually take control. They will have more complete performances, and never quite put Fiji to bed, but they have their first win of the autumn.
“It was massive - the boys stepped up really well and dealt with the pressure,” Darcy Graham tells Amazon Prime. “Fiji threw everything at us, we knew how dangerous they were, so we kind of weathered the storm out and got them in the second half. We stuck to what we talked about all week.”
Scotland 28-12 Fiji, 80 minutes
Oh, that Fijian lineout just hasn’t functioned at all this afternoon. Eroni Mawi makes up for another misfire with a jackal, but Fiji knock on, and that is that.
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