The Guinness Six Nations champions ran in seven tries at the Stade de France, including a sensational solo effort from winger Bielle-Biarrey, while Australia scored five of their own in a plucky display. The Wallabies leave with four defeats from four in the Quilter Nations Series but will be encouraged by what was their best performance of the autumn.
Australia had not won away to France in nine years and, despite a disappointing Quilter Nations Series to date, they made a rapid start. Angus Bell made a break from inside his own half in the first minute and after a penalty that allowed them to set up a lineout inside the 22, hooker Matt Faessler dotted down.
France made a swift reply. Bielle-Biarrey slipped between two tacklers with a neat sidestep on the right wing, and passed inside to the supporting Depoortere to score. The Wallabies were bright in the first 20 minutes and
applied a lot of pressure through the air, forcing a couple of French handling errors. Fly-half Tane Edmed should have restored their lead but shanked a penalty from in front of the posts, but they soon had a second try as Bell – on his 50th Test appearance – shrugged off a Thomas Ramos tackle, burst through a gap and sprinted clear from 30 metres to score a jaw-dropping try. Edmed found his kicking boots to put Australia 12-7 up.
The Stade de France was treated to an excellent first half and France soon had a second try of their own. Julien Marchand pounded on a loose ball from an Australian lineout inside the Wallabies half, and, after a couple of strong carries, France worked an overlap to the left and Ramos ghosted in to score.
On a freezing night, France were warming up and Bielle-Biarrey soon set the Stade de France alight. With a flat pass positioned perfectly for him to run onto, the winger – against the touchline – drifted infield, chipped the ball over Harry Potter, collected it on the full and sprinted in for a memorable 19th Test try.
With half-time approaching, Australia went in search of a third first-half try, and they didn’t have long to wait. France scrum-half Maxime Lucu was sin-binned as a result of repeat team infringements, and the Wallabies kicked to the corner. They worked the lineout w
ell, and scored through again through Faessler, while Edmed’s excellent conversion tied the game at 19-19.
France were the first to strike after the break, as Ramos made history by becoming the first French player to score 100 Test points in a calendar year by sweetly striking a penalty through the posts. He also played a key part in France’s fourth try of the night, with a line break from midfield catching the Wallabies out. After they won a penalty, France went to the lineout, and then went through the hands from right to left, where Depoortere was on hand to score again.
Australia refused to go away, however, and hit back again. The Wallabies did brilliantly to rip the ball free inside his own half, and then release Max Jorgensen, who sprinted down the left side, kicked ahead and then beat Damian Penaud to dot the ball down. Edmed’s conversion cut the gap to just one point.
In a see-saw match, France went back to the set-piece and Marchand was the next to go over after a five-metre lineout. Tom Hooper also went to the sin-bin to give France a huge advantage with 15 minutes to go. Australia almost hit back again but Rob Valetini knocked on just a metre out, and they were made to pay when debutant Kalvin Gourgues made a break and put Bielle-Biarrey in for his second of the night.
That sealed the result but Australia made the scoreline a little closer with five minutes to go, as Josh Nasser burrowed over from a few metres out. However, France had the last laugh as replacement hooker Maxime Lamothe dotted down from another driving maul.