France roar back from 21-12 deficit to crush Australia 42-26 in Nations Championship

First-half Wallabies on top

Australia roared out of the blocks at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium and looked poised to snap their losing streak. France struck first in the third minute when Brisbane-born lock Emmanuel Meafou crashed over, but the hosts replied immediately with a clever short line-out finished by hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa. Winger Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, on his test debut, nudged France ahead in the 18th minute after fly-half Romain Ntamack threaded a grubber kick into the left corner. The momentum swung when Meafou was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Rob Valetini, and flanker Fraser McReight burrowed over twice, the second from a rolling maul after captain Harry Wilson opted for a corner kick instead of a penalty shot. Ryan Lonergan’s third conversion sent Australia into the sheds leading 21-12.

We were very happy going in at half-time. 21-12 up, we put ourselves in a great position there. Then the big second half and we’re learning that you need to play a good 80 minutes.

The French second-half surge

Whatever Fabien Galthié said at the break galvanised Les Bleus. Maxime Lucu trimmed the margin to six points with a 46-metre penalty, and France never looked back. They unleashed a four-try burst in 22 minutes of relentless pace and precision. Grandidier-Nkanang collected a cross-field chip from fullback Matthieu Jalibert for his second score, Ntamack danced past two defenders at the left corner in the 53rd minute, lock Florian Verhaeghe dived under the posts, and winger Theo Attissogbe crossed on the right flank after a line-break by replacement scrum-half Kalvin Gourgues. Australia’s defence wilted, and a yellow card for Tom Wright’s professional foul compounded the collapse.

It was a very, very tough first half. We knew we had to keep pushing, and we’re really happy about that second half.

Grandidier-Nkanang’s dream debut

The London-born Olympic sevens gold medallist was one of eight changes to the French starting XV and made an instant impact. His first try showcased elite pace as he flew around Declan Meredith to seize Ntamack’s kick. The second required sharp reading of a chip-and-chase, plucking the ball off the bounce in the left corner. He became the headline name in a French backline reshuffle that also featured debutant inside centre Fabien Brau-Boirie and a reshuffled pack.

We have a lot of depth in the team, and I think that’s one thing that the French do really well is kind of rotate their players and make sure everyone gets a run. And everyone who puts on the jersey is up for it.

Schmidt’s fading farewell

Australia’s loss extended their winless start to the Nations Championship and leaves head coach Joe Schmidt staring at a dismal final chapter. Next week’s test against Italy will be his last before Les Kiss takes over, and the Wallabies will carry the weight of a six-match skid, their worst since 2015–16. A late consolation try by Jeremy Williams salvaged a bonus point, but the second-half capitulation mirrored the late collapse against Ireland in Sydney seven days earlier. France, meanwhile, head into their final mid-year fixture against Japan with a first win in Brisbane since 1972 and renewed momentum after their narrow loss in New Zealand.

What’s next

France will meet Japan at a yet-to-be-confirmed venue, buoyed by a performance that underlined their squad depth and attacking variety. Australia must regroup quickly for the Italy clash, where the pressure on Schmidt’s successor will intensify unless the Wallabies can stop the rot. The Nations Championship continues to deliver high-scoring drama, with France’s four-try bonus point putting them back in the hunt after their All Blacks setback.