Australia vs. France - prediction, team news, lineups

Australia invited France to the Suncorp Stadium connected Saturday greeting for the 2nd circular of fixtures successful the archetypal ever Nations Championship campaign.

The Wallabies fell to a constrictive 33-31 decision against Ireland astatine the Sydney Football Stadium successful their erstwhile outing, portion Les Bleus were besides finely beaten by New Zealand successful Christchurch.

Match preview

Following a dismal tally of form, losing their erstwhile 4 matches, Australia hoped that they could displacement the momentum and beryllium to inactive beryllium 1 of the strongest sides successful World Rugby erstwhile facing Ireland successful their Nations Championship opener astatine the Sydney Football Stadium past weekend.

After a beardown first-half showing, scoring 4 tries to pb 24-19 astatine the break, it looked arsenic though the hosts were going to bash conscionable that, nevertheless that optimism was agonisingly crushed during a hard 2nd period.

In what was a debased scoring half, Ireland’s 2 converted tries, the second coming with conscionable 3 minutes remaining, saw the Wallabies autumn to a constrictive 33-31 defeat, leaving them supra conscionable Argentina and Fiji successful the Southern Hemisphere array connected 2 points.

Whilst their archetypal lucifer decision is surely not the extremity of the world, Joe Schmidt’s broadside volition beryllium looking to capitalise connected the remainder of their location fixtures, facing Italy successful Perth aft hosting France successful Brisbane connected Saturday morning.

Overcoming a beardown French broadside volition beryllium nary casual feat, but winning 5 of their erstwhile six matches against Les Bleus connected location soil, Australia are much than susceptible of bouncing consecutive backmost from past weekend’s disappointment.

Heading into the run arsenic back-to-back Six Nations champions, the Nations Championship poses the cleanable accidental for France to involvement their assertion arsenic the champion planetary broadside successful World Rugby.

In their opening fixture, Les Bleus had the accidental to beryllium that against 1 of the Southern Hemisphere’s champion sides, travelling to Christchurch to look New Zealand astatine the One NZ Stadium.

Fabien Galthie’s men came retired of the blocks strongly, scoring a converted effort wrong the archetypal fewer minutes and seeing their absorption reduced to 14 men, though it was a commencement which they ended up failing to capitalise on.

Finding themselves six points down astatine the break, France scored 3 second-half tries to springiness themselves a warring chance, but yet fell conscionable short, losing 34-32 to decorativeness the archetypal circular of fixtures sat 4th successful the Northern Hemisphere standings.

However, coming up against a Wallabies squad that they person beaten successful 4 of the erstwhile 5 meetings betwixt the sides, including a scintillating 28-26 triumph down nether successful 2021, Les Bleus volition surely beryllium assured that they tin rapidly deed backmost and commencement climbing towards the acme of the table.

Australia contention form:

Australia signifier (all competitions): 

France contention form:

France signifier (all competitions): 

Team News

Schmidt has made a brace of changes to the backline that faced Ireland, with Tom Wright replacing Jock Campbell astatine full-back and Declan Meredith, who makes his trial debut, coming successful for Carter Gordon astatine fly-half.

In the pack, the Wallabies are unchanged, with Harry Wilson captaining the broadside from fig 8 and grounds quality holder James Slipper connected the seat erstwhile more.

As for France, they volition beryllium delighted with the instrumentality of Toulouse's Romain Ntamack, with Matthieu Jalibert shifting to full-back upon the fly-half's return.

There is 1 much alteration to the starting backs for Galthie's broadside too, with Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang replacing Damian Penaud, who volition miss the remainder of this month's fixtures with a calf injury, connected the wing.

There are besides a plethora of differences successful the visitors' scrum, with Jefferson Poirot, Maxime Lamothe, Hugo Auradou, Tom Staniforth and Pierre Bochaton each departing successful spot of Moses Alo-Emile, Peato Mauvaka, Florian Verhaeghe, Emmanuel Meafou and Lenni Nouchi.

Australia starting lineup:

15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan; 1 Angus Bell, 2 Josh Nasser, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Josh Canham, 5 Jeremy Williams, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson

Replacements:

16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Lachlan Shaw, 20 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Jock Campbell, 23 Filipo Daugunu

France starting lineup:

15 Matthieu Jalibert, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Maxime Lucu; 1 Moses Alo-Emile, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 3 Demba Bamba, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 6 Oscar Jegou, 7 Lenni Nouchi, 8 Marko Gazzotti

Replacements:

16 Maxime Lamothe, 17 Jefferson Poirot, 18 Tevita Tatafu, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Tom Staniforth, 21 Killian Tixeront, 22 Nolann Le Garrec, 23 Kalvin Gourgues

We say: Australia 26-32 France

After some sides came up abbreviated successful nail-biting encounters past weekend, this Saturday's fixture looks acceptable to show much of the aforesaid and volition undoubtedly beryllium 1 of the closest contests of circular two.

However, aft pushing a beardown New Zealand unit to the ligament successful Christchurch, we deliberation France volition get their archetypal triumph of the run against Australia and beryllium looking to apical the Northern Hemisphere standings erstwhile they look Japan a week later.