Damian Penaud’s late try gives France 30-29 win against Australia

WINNING SCORE: France's Damian Penaud on his way to scoring a try. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Winger Damian Penaud’s late try rallied France to beat Australia 30-29 and notch a national record 11th straight win on Saturday.

Australia had just opened a four-point lead through relentlessly accurate penalty kicking with five minutes to go, leaving France needing a last-gasp try at Stade de France.

It came with three minutes left.

Silky flyhalf replacement Mathieu Jalibert kept his cool to pick out Penaud with a long miss-out pass. Penaud stepped inside opposite Tom Wright, fended off Wallabies fullback Jock Campbell and dived into the right corner for France to scrape past the last team to beat it in July last year.

Center Lalakai Foketi and Campbell grabbed their first test tries for Australia against a France side lacking its usual initiative, until it woke up with a late burst.

Defeat was harsh on the Wallabies, who controlled large parts of the match.

“We had trouble the whole game. But we got the win and it’s important to win in different ways,” France captain Antoine Dupont said. “We lacked control and it almost cost us dearly.”

France’s 11-game win beats its national record from the 1930s. The streak includes a first Six Nations Grand Slam in 12 years and a 2-0 series win in Japan in July.

Coach Dave Rennie’s Wallabies led 13-6 midway through the first half, thanks to a pair of Bernard Foley penalties and a splendid length-of-the-field try finished by Foketi, after Wright beat Penaud on the outside and fed Foketi inside to run to the posts.

France fullback Thomas Ramos pegged Australia back to 13-12 with his fourth successful penalty and, in first-half stoppage time, Les Tricolores showed what opportunism means by taking the lead for the first time.

Center Gael Fickou kicked ahead from midfield and hooker Julien Marchand benefited from a counter ruck to nudge over for a converted try, putting Fabien Galthie’s side up 19-13.

Foley and Ramos traded more penalties after the restart before Australia enjoyed a strong phase of possession culminating in Campbell burrowing into the corner on his first start.

Foley slotted the extras, and his penalty in front of the posts extended the lead to 26-22 with 15 minutes left.

France still looked patchy at this stage, choosing an attacking lineout soon after but fluffing it with a knock-on.

Ramos didn’t waste the next penalty when he continued his clinical kicking with a 40-meter effort, making it a one-point game with eight minutes left.

But Australia responded in kind, as it did all night, and Foley’s replacement, Reece Hodge, landed a tough kick from wide left to leave France needing a try.

Penaud obliged.

France hosts World Cup winner South Africa next Saturday and Australia travels to play Italy.