France v Australia talking points: Les Bleues complete comeback despite the odds being stacked against them

Both France and Australia were looking to bounce back in Aix-en-Provence, with both sides coming into the game after defeats last weekend.

France were beaten 28–14 by New Zealand, while Australia were particularly keen to respond after a 48–15 defeat to England – despite having led the world champions 10–5 at half-time.

What followed was an extraordinary contest, with France completing a remarkable 29-27 comeback victory after poor first-half discipline handed the Wallaroos a 19-12 half-time lead.

Australia played with far greater attacking fluency than they had shown against England and looked capable of securing a much-needed win, but France refused to let the game slip away.

Despite three early yellow cards and a red card, the hosts showed remarkable resilience, gradually clawing their way back before taking the lead late on.

Australia will be left to rue missed opportunities, but France deserve enormous credit for the character they showed to overturn such a difficult position and secure victory by just two points.

Here are the talking points of the game…

Australia struck first — and what a moment

The Wallaroos worked the ball into the French 22 and, off the back of a powerful driving maul, it was their hooker who got the final touchdown. Brittany Merlo scored her second Test try on just her second appearance for Australia, and what a time to get it.

The conversion followed and Australia made the perfect start: France 0–7 Australia, with the hosts also down to 14 players after a yellow card inside the opening 15 minutes.

Cards cost France early on

France’s discipline was the defining story of the opening 20 minutes. After accumulating three yellow cards, the French side suffered the further setback of a permanent red card.

To compound matters, the first of those yellow cards was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

The result was an extraordinary situation for France so early in the contest. Their repeated infringements not only handed Australia territory and attacking opportunities, but left France with just 11 players on the pitch at one stage.

At 7–0 down, France faced the considerable challenge of trying to stay competitive while simultaneously attempting to regain control of a match that had been dominated by their disciplinary problems.

In just under half an hour, Australia had scored three tries and led 19-0. The Wallaroos looked well worth their lead, too.

Australia looked comfortable in attack

Australia looked far more fluid in attack, moving the ball with greater confidence and purpose. There was a noticeable difference in the way they were moving the ball and building pressure compared with last week’s performance against England.

They seemed more comfortable playing with width, combining their forwards and backs, and taking opportunities when they appeared rather than relying solely on individual carries.

That attacking flow was also helped by the pressure they were putting France under. The Wallaroos were getting quick ball and making the most of the space created by France’s defensive disruption, particularly when the hosts repeatedly lost players to the sin bin.

It allowed Australia to play on the front foot and, importantly, with confidence. It was a fantastic match to watch.

Two crucial French tries

France managed to turn on the gears before the break, with Anaïs Grando finishing off a clever piece of individual skill from Pauline Bourdon-Sansus.

The French captain spotted space behind the Australian defence and produced a perfectly weighted chip, following it through to keep the pressure on before Grando was able to gather and finish.

It was the attacking spark France had been searching for after such a difficult opening spell. Despite their disciplinary problems and being reduced to 12 players at one point, France managed to score again, cutting Australia’s advantage to just seven points.

What had looked like a potentially one-sided contest earlier in the half suddenly became a much more competitive game, with France going into half-time having regained some momentum and belief.

Turnaround complete

France eventually completed an extraordinary turnaround, with Mélissande Llorens crossing with five minutes remaining to put the hosts in front.

From battling an astonishing disciplinary crisis in the first half, France had fought their way back into the contest and suddenly found themselves on the verge of an unlikely victory.

What made the comeback even more remarkable was the circumstances they had to overcome. Australia had looked in control for large periods of the match, but France showed tremendous resilience to keep applying pressure and gradually turn the momentum in their favour.

The final whistle confirmed a 29–27 victory for France – a remarkable comeback from a side who had been 19-0 down and severely depleted in numbers.

For Australia, there will undoubtedly be frustration at letting such a commanding position slip. But for France, this was ultimately a remarkable display of resilience and determination. From disciplinary chaos to a two-point victory, this was a match that had absolutely everything.