Wallabies player ratings vs France | Nations Championship 2026

The Wallabies have suffered a second consecutive defeat in the Nations Championship, with France completing a second-half comeback to win 42-26 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

It’s the first time in 60 years Les Bleus have won four in a row against the Wallabies, and it’s a drought-breaking result in Brisbane for the visitors as well. France hadn’t won in the River City since the early 1970s, but a second-half masterclass has changed that.

Fraser McReight crossed for two tries, while Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Jeremy Williams also got on the scoresheet. Here is how the Wallabies rated in the second round of the Nations Championship 2026.

1. Angus Bell – 7/10
Bell put in another solid performance for the Wallabies, standing out as one of the team’s top tacklers on the night with 13. The front-rower contributed to a steady scrum that had some success and ran the ball multiple times for hard-earned metres.

2. Josh Nasser – N/A
Nasser left the field about three minutes into the match for a HIA, just after Emmanuel Meafou touched down for the opening try. The 27-year-old did not return, with Brandon Paenga-Amosa coming on as the replacement.

3. Allan Alaalatoa – 6
Alaalatoa looked to set the tone early, putting on a massive shot in defence and winning a turnover soon after. The Wallabies scrum held its own during the opening half, and the tighthead deserves plaudits for that. Alaalatoa was a regular operator around the rucks but otherwise failed to fire around the park, with the now-90-Test veteran finishing with just two carries and five tackles.

4. Josh Canham – 3
Canham was penalised early for a high tackle, was pinned again just before half-time, and had missed two tackles inside the first five minutes. The second-rower had a real presence about him around the park, but missed an equal game-high five attempts in defence.

In the 17^th minute, the lock rose highest to claim a steal on France’s throw into a lineout. Canham was a clear standout at the set-piece against Ireland a week ago and once again delivered some positive involvements in that area.

5. Jeremy Williams – 8
Williams worked really hard against the French and was able to make a positive impact. The second-rower was a game-driver at the lineout and stepped up time and time again in both attack and defence.

The Western Force skipper was one of Australia’s best in defence with more than 13 tackles and was again in the top three for the Wallabies in attack, running the ball nine times. It was a solid knock from Williams, who crossed for the team’s final try of the Test.

6. Rob Valetini – 7
Valetini has set the bar so high over the years that even a good performance in gold can be seen as an off-night. While the stats sheet will tell you that Valetini ran the ball just six times, the backrower was able to get over the gain line constantly. The blindside flanker made a handful of shots in defence before being replaced on the one-hour mark.

7. Fraser McReight – 8.5
This was the type of performance that does make you wonder whether McReight is the best openside flanker in men’s international rugby. McReight was everywhere, finishing with two tries, some steals at the breakdown, and a try-saving effort in defence

The 27-year-old crashed over for two tries during the opening 40, with the first of those attempts coming on the back of the team’s unstoppable maul. But McReight’s standout moment from the half was a defensive stop, which denied an otherwise certain try.

McReight and France fullback Matthieu Jalibert sprinted after a loose ball, with the try line practically within reach. The flanker won that race and miraculously managed to keep the play alive, beating a few defenders before turning defence into attack.

8. Harry Wilson (c) – 7
Wilson was right up there with teammate Fraser McReight as one of the top tacklers on the night, recording 18 stops. The Wallabies captain also had some good moments in attack, including some clever link-up play that almost set up Max Jorgensen during the first half. Wilson worked hard by running the ball 11 times, but did concede one penalty late in the piece as well.

9. Ryan Lonergan – 6
Goal-kicking was a big talking point after the Wallabies’ loss to Ireland a week ago, with Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson missing four shots between them. But the Wallabies may have found their long-term option to take shots off the tee, with Lonergan kicking at a 100 per cent success rate from three attempts.

Lonergan kicked the ball seven times and helped drive the team around the park, keeping the team on the front foot during the first half with quick ball. In defence, the scrum-half finished with an equal game-high five missed tackles.

Points Flow Chart

France win +16

Time in lead

25

Mins in lead

46

31%

% Of Game In Lead

58%

87%

Possession Last 10 min

13%

5

Points Last 10 min

5

10. Declan Meredith – 5
The debutant failed to command the contest as the chief game-driver for the Wallabies before coming off for Jock Campbell during the second half. In defence, Meredith had missed one of three tackle attempts by the 50^th minute.

Meredith would’ve eased some nerves with a solid kick for touch early on, but shanked a clearance soon after. The No. 10 was beaten in a footrace by Aaron Grandidier-Nkangang, but did well to make things difficult for France’s Olympic gold medal-winning athlete.

11. Dylan Pietsch – 5
It was a quiet night for Pietsch. The winger ran the ball three times for 13 metres during the first hour and made three stops on the other side of the ball from as many attempts. But another area to focus on is the high ball, where Pietsch was beaten multiple times by opponents in navy blue.

12. Len Ikitau – 7.5
Ikitau quickly rose through the ranks in Australian rugby on the back of tidy defensive work and smart involvements in attack. It wasn’t a game-breaking masterclass from Ikitau, but it didn’t need to be either. Ikitau linked up well with Suaalii once again, and stepped up as one of the home side’s best for both carries and tackles. But there were periods when the No. 12 seemed unusually quiet, as the French took control of the match’s momentum.

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 7.5
Suaalii has rediscovered the form and impact that made the code-hopper such a starlet on debut for the Wallabies back in October 2024. The midfielder has been active on both sides of the ball to start the international season, which has already given the Wallabies a real boost in attack.

It may have been called back, but a 50/22 inside the first minute set the tone for another strong night in gold for the centre. Suaalii almost set up Max Jorgensen for a try later in the half, and set up a couple of linebreaks with offload-ready carries at the line.

14. Max Jorgensen – 6
Jorgensen hadn’t really had a chance to get into the game during the first half, before being presented with a difficult chance to score. Wilson linked up with Suaalii, who gave the winger half a metre of space to work with near the left sideline. ‘Jorgo’ dived for the corner with a sea of blue jerseys around him and was millimetres away from scoring, but instead knocked the ball on.

The winger was busy in attack but didn’t get the chance to run in space, finishing with nine carries for 25 meters. In defence, Jorgensen completed nine tackle attempts, but slipped off a couple of stops as well.

15. Tom Wright – 7
It was a game of two halves for Wright. In a way, the first half was the type of rugby that Wright loves playing. France play quite flat with the ball, and that presents some counter-attacking opportunities that Wright made the most of.

Wright kicked two 50/22’s during the first half, with the second dribbling towards the sideline after hitting the deck 15 metres in from touch. But the No. 15 was shown a yellow card during the second term.

Replacements

16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 8 – Paenga-Amosa came on as an early substitute for Josh Nasser and made a near-immediate impact. The replacement linked up with scrum-half Ryan Lonergan at a lineout, before burrowing over for Australia’s first try two phases later.

Paenga-Amosa was busy all night on both sides of the ball, clearly seizing the opportunity to play big minutes for the national team. In a mammoth 77-minute shift, the hooker was mostly accurate at the set-piece and generally impressive across the park.

17. James Slipper – 5

18. Taniela Tupou – 6

19. Lachlan Shaw – 5

20. Nick Champion de Crespigny – 5

21. Tate McDermott – 6

22. Jock Campbell – 5.5

23. Filipo Daugunu – 4