Match Details

Qantas Wallabies

VS

France

	40	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Kick off times: 8:00pm (Local) Sat 5 Jul 8:00pm (AEDT) Sat 5 Jul	10
	Head to Head: Played 38 : Australia 20, France 16, Drawn 2 Last Time: 05/07/08 : Australia 40 - France 10 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

The thirty point victory broke the previous largest margin of 23 points which Australia established in the 1999 Rugby World Cup final.

But it all seemed to be heading in a very different direction early on. It was a spirited start from France, which belied the inexperience in their squad, running the ball out close to their line from the first kickoff and stealing the Wallabies first line out.

However it was the Wallabies who had the first chance to score after a neat run from last week’s Man of the Match Peter Hynes led to a penalty against France on the 22 wide out.

Flyhalf Matt Giteau struck the penalty attempt beautifully to put Australia up 3 – 0 after just two minutes.

Francecontinued to try to run the ball from deep in their own territory, which led to another attacking opportunity to the Wallabies five minutes later.

From a line out on the French 22 the ball came to Giteau who launched a pinpoint crossfield kick that perfectly found Hynes in space for the Queensland Reds winger to dive over for his first Test try.

Giteau again steered the kick between the posts from wide out to put the Wallabies up 10 – 0 after just eight minutes.

Francethen had a chance to score with a penalty attempt, five metres in from touch, after the Wallabies were caught off side but the Vietnamese descended flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc pushed the ball wide.

The French continued to try to run the ball from anywhere but the smothering Wallaby defence again caused errors and when France flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo played the ball in an offside position Giteau added another superb penalty to make it Australia 13 – 0 after fifteen minutes.

Lachie Turnerspilled a high ball to give France a good attacking opportunity 20 metres out soon after, but again strong Wallaby defence forced an error, this time from Trinh-Duc.

Recalled flanker Phil Waugh then won a penalty with his speed to the breakdown after young French winger Alexis Palisson was caught holding on.

Giteau struck the ball smoothly again from 35 metres out to put the Wallabies up 16 – 0, and give the Western Force flyhalf a perfect 4 from 4.

Shortly after Queensland Reds scrumhalf Sam Cordingley came on as a blood replacement for Luke Burgess, who raced off to have a head cut stitched.

Queensland Reds lock James Horwill earned the next point scoring opportunity when once again France were penalised for holding on and once again Giteau slotted the attempt from wide out to bring up his 300^th Test point and put the Wallabies out to 19 – 0 with half an hour gone.

A Wallaby counter attack looked dangerous soon after but a huge tackle from Sebastien Chabal on Hynes stopped the move.

But the Wallabies were in for their second try moments later, again created by Giteau. He picked up a loose ball forty metres out then broke through the French line before flicking a no-look pass behind his back to send local hero Horwill over under the posts for a very popular try.

Giteau, playing the perfect 40 minutes, then converted the try he made to put the Wallabies up 26 – 0 in the shadows of half time as Burgess returned for Cordingley.

The match then erupted with a scuffle between French flanker Matthieu LIevremont and Wallaby hooker Stephen Moore which then saw Horwill on the end of a flurry of punches from French No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy. The furore saw Horwill leave the field with a badly bloodied left eye.

Francethen finally got on the board when Trinh-Duc landed a penalty goal after the half time whistle to make it 26 – 3 at the break.

Horwill didn’t return from the break and was replaced by Reds team mate Hugh McMeniman, coming on for his 13^th Test cap, who himself only joined the Wallabies squad on Thursday after the groin injury to Nathan Sharpe.

France were camped on the Wallabies line for the opening ten minutes of the second half but a combination of excellent Australian defence and poor French execution kept the Wallaby line in tact.

Burgess then got the Wallabies into French territory with a 50-metre break that could have led to another Men of Gold try but the pass inside to Adam Ashley-Cooper went to ground.

No.8 Stephen Hoiles was then replaced by flanker George Smith, as the Wallabies enjoyed a spell of possession and territory in the French half.

Ashley-Cooper then made a strong break but again the ball went to ground just ten metres out.

Berrick Barnesthen went off with a shoulder injury bringing Ryan Cross on for his second Test cap.

And four minutes later the Western Force centre was in for his first Test try. Put into a gap by a superb pass from Giteau from a scrum 30 metres out from the French line, he then outpaced the cover defence for a well taken try.

Giteau kept his perfect kicking record intact with the conversion from close to the posts to put the Wallabies out to an impressive lead of 33 – 3 with 23 minutes to go.

Benn Robinsoncame off on the hour mark with Brumbies prop Ben Alexander replacing him for his second Test cap.

Another Wallaby break out soon after saw prop Al Baxter showing super pace on a twenty metre surge before winger Lachie Turner was hit in a very late tackle by French replacement flyhalf Benjamin Boyet who was shown a yellow card for his troubles by New Zealand referee Paul Honiss.

The Wallabies made their numerical advantage pay a few minutes later after a string of penalties on the French line. Burgess showed the initiative and from a quick tap, got a good quick ball to Giteau that saw the skilful flyhalf throw another pinpoint long ball to put Cross in for his second try.

Giteau again converted from wide out to keep up his perfect goal-kicking performance (8 from 8) and put the Wallabies out to 40 – 3.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans then emptied his bench bringing on hooker Adam Freier, fullback Cameron Shepherd and Cordingley for the final ten minutes for Moore, captain Stirling Mortlock and Burgess respectively.

A late long range try to Trinh-Duc, finishing off a run by fullback Benjamin Thiery, gave France some consolation. The try converted by scrum replacement Dimitri Yachvili.

On a negative note to a tremendous performance Horwill (eye) and Barnes (shoulder) were both taken to hospital for precautionary scans and Shepherd was stretchered off in the final moments with a broken leg that will put him out of the Tri-Nations.

Full time score:

Qantas Wallabies 40(Peter Hynes, James Horwill, Ryan Cross 2 tries; Matt Giteau 4 penalties, 4 conversions) defeated France 10 (Francois Trinh-Duc try, Trinh-Duc penalty, Dimitri Yachvili conversion ) at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. (Half time: Australia 26 – 3) Crowd: 40,218.