Australia push for series win over France in Melbourne

MELBOURNE (REUTERS): Having pulled off a great escape against an understrength France in Brisbane, Australia will seek to run away with their first series trophy in seven years by beating ‘Les Bleus’ in Melbourne on Tuesday.

The Wallabies reeled in a 15-0 deficit to claim the opener 23-21 at Lang Park last Wednesday but won few admirers for a scrappy victory that was ultimately gifted by a French turnover from a lineout after the siren.

A more assured performance at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium would help win over the skeptics and deliver the Wallabies a first series triumph since beating the French 3-0 at home in 2014, following defeats to touring England (2016) and Ireland (2018).

Knocking off a French side shorn of a slew of first-choice players may do little to impress southern hemisphere heavyweights South Africa and New Zealand, who lie in wait at the upcoming Rugby Championship.

However, it would give the Wallabies some hope they are moving in the right direction under Dave Rennie after failing to close out a string of tight matches in the New Zealander’s first season in charge in 2020.

Wallabies Captain Michael Hooper spoke for all Australian fans when he said he hoped for “significant” improvement in Melbourne, where coincidentally they sealed the 2014 series against the French with a grinding 6-0 win at Docklands Stadium.

“We think we’ve got so much more in us,” Hooper told reporters on Monday.