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France Finish Autumn With 48-33 Win Over Australia in Freezing Stade de France Thriller

The result preserves France’s top-six World Cup seeding even as Fabien Galthié acknowledges the side has regressed.

Overview

  • The fixture went ahead in near-freezing temperatures thanks to heated turf at the Stade de France, with snowfall reported late in the game.
  • After a 19-19 halftime, France pulled clear and totaled seven tries, with Nicolas Depoortere and Louis Bielle-Biarrey each scoring twice.
  • Defensive frailties and discipline remained concerns, with nine first-half penalties conceded and a 10-minute exclusion for scrum-half Maxime Lucu.
  • The victory leaves France with a 2025 record of six wins and five defeats and secures its place among the top-six seeds for the next Rugby World Cup draw.
  • Australia complete a winless European tour and suffer a 10th defeat of the season, their worst return and first such tour without a win since 1958.