- 1 Australia vs France: Two wounded heavyweights meet in Brisbane as the Nations Championship kicks off
- 2 The Wallabies need discipline and consistency at home
- 3 France beef up the pack to flex their muscle
- 4 Probable line-ups:
- 5 Nations Championship Prediction: Australia vs France
- 6 First, a word on our predictions
- 7 No commitment from us
- 8 Information can change
- 9 Your role
- 10 Responsible gambling comes first
- 11 Legal age
- 12 About the images
Australia vs France: Two wounded heavyweights meet in Brisbane as the Nations Championship kicks off
Australia and France are back at it this weekend on matchday two of the Nations Championship after both came within a whisker of a statement win in the opening round. Beaten by a single kick against Ireland and New Zealand respectively, the Wallabies and Les Bleus now need a result to keep their title hopes alive. Australia are banking on their attack finding its rhythm again, while France, the reigning Six Nations champions, are backing their superior physical power to come throug in Australia .
Joe Schmidt’s side put on a proper show in Sydney on the opening weekend against Ireland. Sadly for them, after racing into a 12-point lead, they coughed up a late try and lost 33-31 despite crossing five times through Pietsch, Campbell, Canham, Lonergan and McDermott. France, meanwhile, travelled to Christchurch with a heavily changed squad in the absence of the Top 14 finalists from Toulouse and Montpellier. Trailing the All Blacks, Les Bleus sniffed a late smash-and-grab after scores from Penaud, Hastoy, Attissogbe and Jalibert, only to fall just short at the death, 34-32.
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The Wallabies need discipline and consistency at home 
Even with title odds of 33/1, Australia gave themselves plenty to like against Ireland. Schmidt’s back line sparkled, driven by the creativity and class of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen and Len Ikitau. Up front, too, the set piece and the tight exchanges, a major weakness on their late-2025 tour, showed clear signs of progress under the guidance of captain Harry Wilson and the ferocious breakdown hunter Fraser McReight.
But if they are going to live with France, Australia have to fix the big issues: chronic indiscipline and those killer lapses in defence. Shipping 33 points at home to Ireland laid bare the work still to be done, as assistant coach Tom Donnelly has already pointed out. If the goal-kickers miss again and the penalty count starts climbing, the Wallabies could be heading back into the sort of misery they endured at the end of last year, when they fell one after another to England, Italy, Ireland and, yes, France as well (48-33).
France beef up the pack to flex their muscle 
From the French camp, this trip to Brisbane comes without several leading lights. Already missing Antoine Dupont and Louis Bielle-Biarrey for the first half of the tournament, Les Bleus have also lost star winger Damian Penaud to injury, ruling him out for the next two weeks. Even so, Fabien Galthie has some serious reinforcements back in the mix. Several key players rested last weekend are expected to return, starting with the powerhouse Toulouse second row Emmanuel Meafou, whose presence will add real mass to the French pack.
That extra muscle up front arrives at exactly the right time for the European champions, who are built around their biggest weapon: rolling mauls and a brutally effective scrum. France can still light it up, as they showed in a Six Nations campaign packed with points – wins of 36-14 over Ireland, 54-12 over Wales and that wild 48-46 finish against England. They know they have the tools to pin Australia back, squeeze the territory and finish their chances in the opposition 22.
Probable line-ups:
Australia: Wright ; Kellaway, Ikitau, Suaalii, Jorgensen ; Gordon, McDermott ; McReight, Wilson, Valetini ; Frost, Canham ; Tupou, Lonergan, Bell
France: Barre ; Attissogbe, Gailleton, Moefana, LBB (or Dumortier) ; Jalibert, Lucu ; Alldritt, Boudehent, Cros ; Meafou, Flament ; Tatafu, Marchand, Baille
Nations Championship Prediction: Australia vs France
France to win by 6 or more
Australia showed enough promise in attack last weekend, but this feels like a step too far against the streetwise power of France. The Wallabies still lack depth off the bench and they are nowhere near tidy enough when it comes to discipline, which is a dangerous flaw against top-tier opposition. Give away too many penalties and you hand France the cheap ball they want, the sort that lets them set up camp in your half and start rolling mauls with a grin.
The expected return of fresh, wrecking-ball forwards such as Emmanuel Meafou should allow France to control the pace and dominate the collisions in midfield. In their last meeting, late in 2025, they ripped Australia apart for 48 points. Even without Penaud and Dupont, the depth of the French squad and their superiority at the set piece should see them grind the Wallabies down over the course of the match and finish with a comfortable margin of at least six points.
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