Wallabies 31 defeated France 25
Sydney - 29 June 2002

In stark contrast to the dreary affair that was the first test in Melbourne, the Wallabies and les Tricouleurs became crowd-pleasing entertainers in an action-packed and attractive game of rugby.

In the end, the Wallabies were triumphant, but only just, as the French threw everything at their opponents in the dying moments of the match in a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful effort to overcome the Wallabies' tenuous 6 point lead. Had Imanol Harinorodoquy not dropped the ball, he may well have gone over and the French would have been only a successful conversion away from victory.

In the end, it was probably a fitting result, as the Wallabies had been slightly the better team throughout the match. Disturbingly though, as captain George Gregan pointed out, the Wallabies have got themselves into a newly acquired habit of taking the foot off the pedal just before half-time and full-time. This they will need to address before facing the All Blacks and the Springboks.

There were many stars for the Wallabies. In the backline, Stirling Mortlock was particularly outstanding, profiting from his uncanny ability to time his run so that he hits the ball at pace. Given his Super12 form, it is not at all surprising that he is proving a game-breaker at test level as well. Dan Herbert has taken to the inside centre position like a fish to water, reveling in the additional close quarter contests that his new position offers. He is quickly making inside centre his own. Mat Rogers was spectacular (as he almost always is), and has made the most of his limited opportunities. Steve Larkham is back to his best now that he has a little extra room to move. And, of course, there's astounding, confounding, enigmatic, brilliant, dreadful Wendell Sailor. When he is good he is very, very good. When he is bad, he is rotten. Saturday night was no exception, but he once again showed enough to suggest that he is going to develop into a very potent strike weapon for the Wallabies at RWC 2003.

If there was going to be a weakness for the Wallabies in this test match, most anticipated that it would be found amongst the forwards who, with the exception of Owen Finegan and Pardo Noriega, were worryingly inexperienced in the test arena.

The great news for Eddie Jones is that this bunch of relative novices stood up to be counted against a skillful and cunning French pack. The Australian lineouts were superb, and the scrum held its own for the most part. At the breakdown, the skill and fitness of the Wallaby pack got the upper hand over their counterparts.

David Lyons ably and admirably filled the large shoes of the injured Toutai Kefu. Owen Finegan is in vintage form and was constantly looking for work. Justin Harrison played with a confidence that belies his lack of experience at international level. And Brendan Cannon was impressive until cruelly struck down with an injury. Pleasingly, test debutants Sean Hardman and Daniel Vickerman produced the goods in a tense situation.

This series against France has proven to be an ideal buildup to the Tri-Nations. The Wallabies are still playing far from perfect rugby, especially in defence, but there is enough on show to indicate that there's still plenty of gas left in the Wallaby tank. Their expansive and creative play is exactly what their fans have been craving, and it is this brand of rugby Eddie Jones clearly believes will give them the best chance of winning next year's World Cup.

- Dan Fowell