Les Bleues have overcome six cards and a delayed restart to the second half to run down the Wallaroos in Aix-en-Provence, a try to Teani Feleu seeing the hosts win 29-26.
It was a chaotic result to match the afternoon, with a bus fire also breaking out during halftime delaying the restart.
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The Wallaroos did build significantly on their performance last week, leading the match for 74 minutes and sniffing repeating their 2023 victory with tries from Brittany Merlo, Tania Naden, Caitlyn Halse and Piper Duck.
However, the overriding feeling for the visitors was one of disappointment come full time, as the French overcame adversity on multiple fronts to score three second-half tries and claim a remarkable win ahead of their clash next week against Canada.
So, what did we learn?
If there was any word to describe the clash at Aix-en-Provence when the sides went down the tunnels at halftime, it was wild, producing scenes rarely seen on a rugby field.
Overcoming a frenetic start, the French saw four cards in twenty minutes, with Ambre Mwayembe, Lea Champon and Lea Murie all sent for high tackles, Mwayembe’s being upgraded to a red card.
With Chloe Correa then given a straight red for eye-gouging in the maul, Australia scored three tries with the advantage, seemingly setting the hosts up for a long afternoon.
The fightback from the French, despite that was even more impressive, also overcoming an additional card to Charlotte Escudero in the second half, with Australia’s Michaela Leonard also sent to the bin.
Complete with an extended break at halftime due to a raging bus fire that broke out behind the stands, it was an afternoon that truly had everything.
For the opening 30 minutes, France were their worst enemy, conceding eight penalties, two yellow cards and two red cards.
However, when a long-range effort saw Anais Grando score in 39th minute and Emilie Bolard followed soon afterwards, the quality of the French started to show and they found their blueprint to victory - going direct.
Even with the Wallaroos scoring first in the second half, the hosts didn’t lose their composure; the timely injection of their bench lifting the side, and the maul proved especially effective at sucking in the Australian defence.
Many teams struggle to overcome a four-player disadvantage in a game of rugby, but the French proved professional and methodical in the second half, with tries from quick play to Teani Feleu and skipper Pauline Bourdon Sansus, and off the maul to Elisa Riffonneau.
None of these French players have ever beaten Australia, with Les Bleues’ last win coming all the way back in 2017, so producing a result despite being so far back so early on shows a ticker and determination that will be worth its weight in gold come 2029.
Tim Walsh and his coaching staff are going to have a lot to dissect on Monday morning when the team arrives in Edinburgh, because despite the loss, there was a lot of growth from the Wallaroos.
Coming into the match, the defence continued to grow off the back of their performance against England, with the scrambling defence of Caitlyn Halse, Amelia Whittaker and Georgina Friedrichs stopping two French tries.
The scrum was also solid against a side that found success in their set piece against New Zealand last week, also finding parity in the lineout.
However, the biggest positive was in general play, the Wallaroos generating significant go-forward and physicality, with Allana Sikimeti, Pia Tapsell, Piper Duck and Siokapesi Palu Sekona all producing big shifts.
The result was a side that matched France even when they were a full complement in the opening 20 minutes, and when the hosts were stung by the referee, played what’s in front of them and raced out to a 19-point lead.
Despite what came next and the final result, leading a top four team in the world for 74 minutes suggests a Wallaroos side that isn’t far away from competing with the best.
Last week, the overriding message of the Wallaroos 48-15 loss to England was that the scoreline didn’t reflect the quality of the contest - a true statement given what transpired.
On its face, a 29-26 loss to France on their home soil is a substantial improvement from the world number nine side. However, the match itself adds nuance to that scoreline.
If there is any emotion that the Wallaroos will take away from Aix-en-Provence, it will likely be disappointment, missing a golden opportunity to claim victory over a top four side in the world on their own patch.
Facing a Les Bleues that was reduced to 11 players thanks to poor discipline, the Wallaroos made the hosts pay with three tries, only to concede two tries in the final two minutes of the first half to let them back into the game.
While Piper Duck’s try in the second half gave the visitors a 14-point lead, the injection of Fresh legs from the French proved massive, overcoming the player advantage and ultimately, the hosts’ experience shone through.
The loss will prove a tough but likely necessary lesson for the Wallaroos to take in terms of their game management, composure and injection of the bench later in the game.
The Wallaroos now head to Edinburgh for the first of three matches to close out the year, the other two fixtures playing out in October in Sydney and Canberra.
While the Scots sit above Australia in the world rankings, the development of the women in gold shown over the last fortnight suggests a tight affair awaits, with Scotland coming into the series off a 64-24 loss to Canada and a 66-14 loss to New Zealand.
Having played top four sides in five of their seven fixtures so far this year, this series is an opportunity the Wallaroos need to take.
A win in Edinburgh has the potential to be one of the most significant in the Wallaroos’ history, not just because it will snap a six-game losing streak.
With 2026 marking the end of the Wallaroos’ semi-professional era, finishing the year with victories over the Scots will see the professional program hit the ground running, just as the coach who will lead the Wallaroos to 2029, Sione Fukofuka, enters the fray.
It sets the stage for a critical final three fixtures.
