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The Wallabies suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to France, giving up a lead with less than five minutes to play in Paris.
France won a record 11th-straight Test 30-29 after French wing star Damian Penaud bludgeoned his way past Tom Wright and Jock Campbell to score the decisive try in the 76th minute.
“Just heartbreaking mate,” said Wallaby Kurtley Beale on the Stan Sport coverage. “The Wallabies had a lot of opportunities to win that game and you know a quality team like the French are going to make you pay.”
Former Wallaby Drew Mitchell summed up the mood of many fans after watching the Wallabies get in front and then lose their composure.
“Let’s not celebrate getting close, they should have won that game,” Mitchell said.
“The same things are repeating over and over. We should be celebrating a win here. It’s hard when we get ourselves in these positions and we find a way to lose the game.”
Mitchell was scathing of Dave Rennie’s decision to bring Bernard Foley off with seven minutes to play, replacing him with Reece Hodge, while on-field execution was nervy down the stretch.
Two big missed tackles, poor lineout throwing from Folau Fainga’a and a shocking kick from Rob Valetini encapsulated Australia’s jitters in the crucial final stages.
The Roar rugby experts Brett McKay, Harry Jones and Jim Tucker come together for another Instant Reaction from the Wallabies’ Spring Tour of Europe, a heartbreaking 30-29 loss to France in Paris
“I’m proud of the character, our ability to stay in the fight,” said Rennie. “We just needed to control the field position better in the last 10 minutes. We turned over a bit of pill at the breakdown, they were better in that area. They’re a good side and you can’t give them a sniff. It’s a tough way to lose.”
The Wallabies had opened their tour with a 16-15 win over Scotland a week earlier but were given little chance against a team Rennie called the best in the world this week.
The Australians made a strong start however, as Taniela Tupou, restored to the starting line up, won a scrum penalty in the opening engagement and Foley popped over the penalty. Thomas Ramos made the most of two Australian errors to kick the hosts to a 6-3 lead before Foley evened it up with his second penalty.
After 16 minutes the game shifted with action at both ends. France felt they’d scored a try to flanker Charles Ollivon but it was ruled out due to a second movement. The Aussies made the most of the reprieve, scoring one of the great Test match tries.
Bristling with attacking intent, and riding their luck deep in their own 22, the Wallabies sent Tom Wright for a surge down the left wing and the stunning five-pointer was finished off by Lalakai Foketi. The Waratahs centre, who was one of four changes from the Scotland win, didn’t last the half, however, forced off with a shin injury that Rennie said “looks significant.”
Lalakai Foketi scores his try. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
In the shadow of halftime, the Wallabies presented France with a gift to allow them to grab a 19-13 halftime lead. A pushed pass in midfield went to ground and the French kicked ahead. Andrew Kellaway cleaned up but was pushed back 10 metres by the French chasers. The turnover was forced and Julien Marchand ploughed over.
Foley and Thomas Ramos traded penalties in the opening six minutes of the first half before Ramos missed a long-ranger after an error by Campbell.
With the Wallabies six points behind, Mitchell pleaded for the introduction of Will Skelton.
“Skelton needs to be a tactical substitution, not a reactive one,” Mitchell said. “You need to give him about 30 minutes so he can go out there and be impactful not come on with 10-15 minutes to play when the game’s got away from the Wallabies. He needs to go out there and help them arrest the momentum back. He’s the type of player who can do it.”
Mitchell got his wish with Skelton was pitched into battle on 53 minutes.
Four minutes later the Australians hit the front. Nic White gave Foley quality ball from a breakdown in the France 22 and his long pass hit a flying Campbell, who outpaced Romain Ntamack to grab a memorable first try in a gold jersey.
Foley’s under-pressure kick sailed true and the Wallabies led for the first time since the sixth minute. The Japan-based veteran No.10 has plenty of detractors but when the game stops and it’s just him and the kicking tee the Iceman nickname still holds true. He banged over his sixth attempt on 66 minutes and the Wallabies led 26-22.
France responded with a surge of pressure and aggression, pinning the Wallabies back in their 22 for a succession of penalties and lineouts. Just as the French looked set to breach the Wallabies line the ball was lost forward by Sipili Falatea and Australia survived.
The stress was incredible. Valetini, otherwise excellent, gave the ball away with a horrible shanked kick and then another penalty concession allowed Ramos a shot at goal to reduce the gap to a point with eight minutes on the clock.
“Rob Valetini kicking? Since when? What for? Why would he?” said Sera Naiqama on Stan Sport.
Hodge was sent on to close out the game in place of Foley.
“I think it was a poor substitution taking Bernard Foley off,” said Mitchell.
“You’ve got seven minutes to play and you take your key decision maker off. Not so much [about] Reece Hodge I’d get him on somewhere, but at 10 was a poor decision only because you’re taking your key decision maker in Bernard Foley off, the key communicator, the driver, the steerer of the ship.
“Having someone who’s not a 10 come on to play 10 in the most crucial moment of the game? I thought that was a poor decision.”
Soon after the restart the Wallabies won a penalty and with Foley off, Hodge stepped up and calmly split the posts for a 29-25 lead.
Hodge, though, was one of the players found wanting in defence as Penaud scored a stunning try to put France a point ahead with five to play.
He stepped Wright and powered through Campbell to score wide on the right and send the home crowd into raptures.
Australia had a chance to respond but Fainga’a’s lineout throw was called not straight. Discipline is all facets of the game continues to cruel Rennie.
Australia have a game against Italy next week before ending their tour against Ireland, the world No.1 team who beat South Africa on Sunday, and then Wales.
Mitchell wants Rennie to start narrowing his selection with the World Cup in mind.
“We need to start getting close to a team,” said Mitchell. “It doesn’t have to be the exact same team we’re going to be playing in the first pool game of the World Cup but they need to start getting combinations.
“In 2019 we didn’t know who the No.10 was even into the quarterfinal let alone into the first game. So I think at some point, especially in crucial positions, we need to start the building combination. You build confidence in each other and understanding each other’s games that you can move forward into what is going to be a crucial World Cup.”