Lopez drop drifts wide along with French hope

FRANCE showed the character they failed to showcase in recent years but it was not enough to overcome a plucky Australia in Paris last night.

France scored first and led 8-0 but Australia hit back and were always in front after that.

The hosts conceded three tries in the end but always found a way to stay in contention through three tries of their own.

Replacement fly-half Camille Lopez had the opportunity to snatch the win on the last play but his drop-goal sailed to the left of the posts.

Australia started the game putting France under pressure but the defence held on and it was France who took the lead through the boot of Maxime Machenaud.

Picking up from where they left off against Samoa last week, France started to keep the ball alive in attack and it made for a stunning team try which was concluded by Vakatawa.

Bernard Foley put the Aussies on the board with a penalty and soon after they were awarded a penalty try from a powerful driving maul.

To make matters worse for France, Charles Ollivon saw yellow for collapsing the maul.

Foley made it 13-8 for the visitors but a penalty at the scrum saw Machenaud bring France to within two points at the break.

Two minutes into the second half they trailed by nine points as Foley converted his own try.

France were under huge pressure in defence but another length of the field effort launched by Wesley Fofana and Scott Spedding saw Jean-Marc Doussain get over the line.

Machenaud missed the touchline conversion and two minutes later Tevita Kuridrani showed sensational dexterity to score in the corner jumping to evade a last-dicth tackle attempt from Ollivon.

But France hit back once again and this time it came from Fofana who ran over untouched after a well-picked line in midfield.

Machenaud was on target with the conversion this time and France were again two points away from the Wallabies with just over ten minutes to go.

The grandstand finish was set but they couldn’t score again and the missed drop-goal from Lopez on the last play meant France had to do with an honourable defeat.