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Wallaroos claim famous win over France to shake up WXV1 standings
By Ned Lester
France entered round two of WXV1 full of confidence having tackled the reigning world champion Black Ferns in round one. Their round two opponents Australia looked to snap that win streak.
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A hat trick to Eva Karpani earned the Wallaroos prop Player of the Game honours and spurred the Australian team to a famous win in Dunedin.
It was the Wallaroos who opened the scoring, finding space through the French midfield and showing great endeavour in support with a number of offloads finishing the try.
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France’s kicking game steered them around the field well while Australia focussed on contestable punts that their wingers chased fearlessly but ultimately struggled to win.
The kicking allowed France better control of where the game was being played which resulted in points when Emilie Boulard finished off the counter-attack strike which started at halfway. Three offloads were given as France found space down the left wing – a theme of the early exchanges.
Centre Georgina Friedrichs then sparked into life, stepping and ducking tackles to break through the middle of the park and showing up with another step two phases later to score the third try of the match.
Australia’s work at the breakdown was a nuisance to France as the women in white and blue continued to look strong with the ball. Also helping Australia was some lineout steals as France tried to take the short option.
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France’s intent in the carry often won them the contact which then allowed for an offload, challenging the Wallaroos’ scramble defence. While surrendering significant territory, Autralia’s desperation tackles were largely up to the challenge in the opening 40 minutes.
The resistance inspired a conservative call from France who opted for the three points, bringing the lead to within two just shy of the halftime break. Australia led 12-10.
Australia’s kicking struggled to provide decent exits and France continued to attack from better field positioning in the second half.
The Wallaroos were reading the French lineout expertly throughout the contest and consistently disrupted ball at set piece.
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France’s defensive line wasn’t as aggressive as it was last week against New Zealand but their positioning did place themselves right in the way of any Australian offloads, limiting the damage of any half-breaks.
With the ball five metres from the French line, Eva Karpani picked out a smaller body and ran hard, dragging multiple bodies with her as she crashed over for the first points of the second half. Carys Dallinger’s conversion pushed the lead to nine.
After a tense, tight 10 minutes, the score ramped up the pace of the match and France pressed deep into Australia’s half. The Wallaroos found themselves with their backs on the line just moments after the restart but some stellar defence held the ball up as it crossed the chalk.
Australia’s second unit struggled at set piece time, losing their opening scrum and throwing a wayward lineout to again lose the ball before managing to exit their half. The guiding light for the Wallaroos though was their breakdown work, Emily Chancellor had three turnovers to her name by the hour mark.
The latter of those three handed Australia the chance to press into France’s half where they were awarded a shot at three points. Arabella McKenzie obliged and the lead was pushed to 12.
The scoreboard pressure was getting to France. On the next trip down the field, they had a chance to kick to the corner and attack via lineout but kicked it dead. They were then penalised at the scrum.
Australia had found their rhythm, their attack was fast and cleanouts were clinical, their kicks started to find more distance and the territory battle started to shift.
Emerging from another rolling maul to crash over the line once more was that gold number three jersey, Eva Karpani had herself a hat trick. It would be a famous triple too as the lead was 19 with nine minutes remaining.
The score brought out more high-paced attack from France, who ran hard and direct. The intensity paid dividends just three minutes after Karpani’s try as Élisa Riffonneau powered over the line.
France weren’t done either, five final minutes of rapid back and forth gave way for Gabrielle Vernier to find a seam and spring down the sideline, scoring in the corner. It was too little too late, Australia claiming a 29-20 win.
