Written by @QuintenLetcher for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
France vs Australia | Saturday 15 November | Stade de France | 22:00
A confident Australian outfit heads for St Denis this week to take on the fervent French for the fourth time this year. Les Bleus will certainly welcome the opportunity to atone for their dismal display Down Under back in June, where they suffered a crushing 3-0 series defeat to Ewan McKenzie’s Wallaby side. The French have always proved a far more formidable force on home soil, as the Wallabies found out during their last visit to Paris back in 2012 where they were categorically outclassed by their passionate hosts in every facet of the game which ended in a resounding 33-6 French victory. France picked up a convincing enough 40-15 victory over a depleted Fiji in Marseille last week, but their performance was utterly devoid of the chaotic exuberance that once defined the side. They’ll have to find a way to deliver their ungovernable je ne sais quoi this Saturday if they plan on avoiding a fourth consecutive defeat to the Aussies.
The Wallabies got their year-end tour off to a winning start with a hard-fought 28-33 victory over a tenacious Wales in Cardiff last Saturday. An exhilarating first half produced a phenomenal five tries and left the scores locked 21-21 at the interval, but the sensational Bernard Foley took matters into his own hands when the sides returned to the pitch, slotting three penalties and a well timed drop goal to deliver a maiden Test win for new coach Michael Cheika. If this was a taste of things to come under the Super Rugby winning Cheika then the Aussies are going to pose a far bigger threat in the upcoming World Cup than previously anticipated.
To Win (80mins)
France 19/20
Australia 19/20
Draw 20/1
France
Coach Philippe Saint-Andre has surprised us all by naming an unchanged starting side for Saturday’s Test, the first time he’s ever done so in his three years at the helm. Saint-Andre has been severely criticised for his perpetual butchering of the national side, especially in the halfback department where Camille Lopez and Sebastien Tillous-Borde became the thirteenth new halfback pairing created since Saint-Andre took over from Marc Lièvremont.
Australia
Just one change to the run on side for the Wallabies this week, as James Horwill takes over from Sam Carter in the second row, where he teams up with Rob Simmons. Coach Michael Cheika opts for the more conventional 5-3 split on the bench for Saturday’s clash, so hot-headed playmaker Quade Cooper returns to the match day 23 after missing out against the Welsh last week, providing cover for the dynamic Waratahs pivot Bernard Foley. Tight-head prop Sekope Kepu claims his fiftieth Test cap, which will hopefully inspire his pack to deliver a more compelling performance in the scrums this week.
VERDICT: Australia 19/20
The French will certainly be out for revenge this week, and they have enough explosive talent in their backline to make a decent go of it. But with the Wallabies – who are looking a far more settled side since Michael Cheika took over last month than they ever did under Ewan McKenzie – playing with a newfound confidence and desire, it is difficult imagine them slipping up against this young French side.
