There is nothing quite like the experience of playing against France in Test rugby.
As a player, as a fan, as a commentator – you never know what you’re going to get.
You play England, Ireland, the All Blacks or Springboks – you know the style, you know what’s coming.
But the French – you just never know, they’re just so unpredictable.
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And for the Wallabies the mystery has been increased further by France sending a young but exciting squad Down Under.
It’s going to be difficult for them coming out of lockdown and all of a sudden playing but they’ll be desperate to impress their coach Fabien Galthie.
They are now a nation with great depth and are hungry to be part of a home World Cup in two years’ time.
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– A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE –
Some of my fondest rugby memories are from playing against France.
Of course beating them in the 1999 Rugby World Cup final is the highlight.
But the second Test I played was as a 19-year-old with Jason Little on debut in the centres against France in Strasbourg in 1989.
We were playing against Phillipe Sella, Franck Mesnel… all these great players and we won 32-15 after being huge underdogs.
In that match Serge Blanco put a kick up and I tackled Serge as he kicked the ball.
Hollywood, he went to the ground and the referee whistled a penalty.
Nick Farr-Jones came up to me and grabbed my jersey underneath my chin and said ‘mate, don’t ever do that again.’
I had nothing to say, I thought it was a fair tackle but they kicked three points and that’s how passionate Nick was.
Everyone talks about the passion the French have but I remember Bob Dwyer before those games saying that the Wallabies need to show they have as much – if not more – passion than the French.
Whenever you play away in France they have the big brass band in the corner and you can never hear what the backline calls are.
Trumpets and trombones – it’s like what you get at American college football games.
So your calls usually have to be in sign language because of the deafening sound.
They don’t stop the cacophony whether France have the ball or you do.
The battles I had against France – they were always exciting, free flowing games of rugby.
They force you to play an open, expansive game.
– BEWARE AN UNBURDENED LES BLEUS –
With seven uncapped players in the France 23 for the first Test, there is little expectation and they’ll be playing without fear.
The Wallabies have got to shock them early.
Because when the French get on a roll, as we’ve seen for many years, they’re very hard to stop.
If you’re a fan in Brisbane you’ve got two chances to watch two teams who could potentially make the World Cup semifinals in two years’ time.
That’s what they’re trying to achieve and the potential is there.
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