Australia 26–42 France: match report & highlights

Full-time: Australia 26 – 42 France

France dominated a thrilling Nations Championship encounter, claiming a commanding victory over Australia despite a spirited Wallabies fight-back. The French came out firing, striking early through Emmanuel Meafou to set the tone for an attacking display. Australia responded well, with Fraser McReight scoring twice to build a lead by halftime, but France's relentless pressure and clinical finishing in the second half proved decisive. The momentum shifted decisively after the interval when Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang crossed following Tom Wright's yellow card, sparking a remarkable French surge that saw Romain Ntamack and Florian Verhaeghe add further tries to extend their advantage.

Australia never surrendered, with Jeremy Williams dotting down in the final moments, but France's attacking prowess, orchestrated superbly by Maxime Lucu who landed crucial conversions and penalties throughout, proved too much to overcome. The French assembled a fortress in the second half, capitalizing on their numerical advantage and maintaining their intensity when it mattered most. Despite the Wallabies' desperate rally, France's comprehensive display secured a deserved victory that showcased their depth and attacking ambition in this Nations Championship clash.

Key moments

• 77' 77' Try: Jeremy Williams (Australia) — Australia 26 – 42 France
• 73' 73' Try: Theo Attissogbe (France) — Australia 21 – 42 France
• 63' 63' Penalty: Maxime Lucu (France) — Australia 21 – 37 France
• 58' 58' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Australia 21 – 34 France
• 57' 57' Try: Florian Verhaeghe (France) — Australia 21 – 32 France
• 55' 55' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Australia 21 – 27 France
• 54' 54' Try: Romain Ntamack (France) — Australia 21 – 25 France
• 50' 50' Try: Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (France) — Australia 21 – 20 France
• 46' 46' Penalty: Maxime Lucu (France) — Australia 21 – 15 France
• 35' 35' Conversion: Ryan Lonergan (Australia) — Australia 21 – 12 France
• 34' 34' Try: Fraser McReight (Australia) — Australia 19 – 12 France
• 28' 28' Conversion: Ryan Lonergan (Australia) — Australia 14 – 12 France
• 27' 27' Try: Fraser McReight (Australia) — Australia 12 – 12 France
• 18' 18' Try: Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (France) — Australia 7 – 12 France
• 11' 11' Conversion: Ryan Lonergan (Australia) — Australia 7 – 7 France
• 10' 10' Try: Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Australia) — Australia 5 – 7 France
• 4' 4' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Australia 0 – 7 France
• 3' 3' Try: Emmanuel Meafou (France) — Australia 0 – 5 France

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Highlights