Australia vs France result

[weasel]

Australia has beaten the French select side 34-10. Matt Sing and Mick Crocker scored twice, while Anthony Minichiello and Trent Waterhouse also scored tries.

I'm actually quite suprised by this result. The buzz on the quality of the french team wasn't very encouraging and even though this was a weaker Australian team it still had a fair bit of talent, I was honestly fearing a similar scoreline to what the Wallabies compiled in the Rugby yesterday. I imagine the result is probably a mixture of the Kangaroos taking the game lightly as well as the french putting up a better fight than expected and I must say I'm very happy to see such a close score especially while the Union results are turning out far more one sided than this.

The crowd was reported as 7813, which isn't great by any means but is still a fairly positive number for what amounted to an exhibition match in a country where League isn't particularly big.

Overall a good outcome for Rugby League and it suggests that the series against Great Britain could turn out to be very competitive.

 

[JasonE]

From the interviews I heard this morning, no the Aussies didn't take the game lightly and went flat out which they had to against a French performance which was rated as the best effort by A French team against Australia in over 20 years.

 

[incredible_holc]

this is a great result!!
i hope that the french gain a heap of experience and beleif in themselves after this.

 

[JasonE]

The crowd was ok considering that the venue was changed I think only in the last week.

 

[ali]

Good crowd, much better than I expected. I actually thought the French team looked the strongest on paper I'd seen in recent memmory. They had 4 players with Super League experience (3 if Elima didn't play), plus the 2 French Aussies would have helped. Other good players like Banquet were there. I am sure this French team was far stronger than the one running around in Lebanon.

I was going to predict a score of 50-10. 34-10 is a great result for France.

 

[Moffo]

Banquet is very solid. Definitely ESL standard

Good crowd, positive signs

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

just a pity these arseholes at fox sports didnt put it on so we could see 4 ourselves.

 

[eastsrule]

Those assholes at Fox have done teh right thing. Rugby Union 24/7 on Fox Sports 2. Better than watching stupid wanabee international games.

I am surprised Australia lost, I thought we were the best. And the game didn't get any news coverage on TV either. I love this. League gets no attention

 

[Razor]

Rugby Union 24/7 on Fox Sports 2.

At least the huge coverage RU is getting this past couple of weeks, might educate those people who falsely believe RU is very popular worldwide, and lots of teams are competitive.

The RUWC is the best advetisment in Australia for International Rugby League in the last 10 years - sure past RUWC's have had simialry dominate scorelines, but they weren't held in Australia and therefore got little publicity.

 

[eastsrule]

The difference between teh RU and RL world cup is that people go to the RU one.

33 000 at the SFS to see ROMANIA versus ARGENTINA. That beats most NRL games. And I would not say there are many Argentinians or Romanians in Sydney...

 

[incredible_holc]

hmmmmm easts you are stupid, go back to your rugby forum.

The RUWC ratings have more than 1/2 since the start, so this shows the now waning interest.

The only reason for the huge crowds have been because the tickets were bought 6 months in advance when people were still wrapped up in the 'once in a lifetime event' mode.

 

[ChiaPete]

The difference between teh RU and RL world cup is that people go to the RU one.

33 000 at the SFS to see ROMANIA versus ARGENTINA. That beats most NRL games. And I would not say there are many Argentinians or Romanians in Sydney...

I applaud the ARU on their organisation of the event. They have done a bloody great job with it and I hope League organisers can learn something from it. But why do you why rah rah folkes continually compare your World Cup Showpeice with our National Competition. Wouldn't a better comparison be Super 12 vs NRL????

Pete
GO BULLDOGS

 

[Razor]

The difference between teh RU and RL world cup is that people go to the RU one.

33 000 at the SFS to see ROMANIA versus ARGENTINA. That beats most NRL games. And I would not say there are many Argentinians or Romanians in Sydney...

That's because the ARU held an illegal lottery for tickets to the final.

Remember - Every ticket you buy to a pool game will get you an entry into the draw to win the oppourtunity to buy tickets to the final - and with a lot of $5 & $10 tickets available people bought them. If they have them they are going to use them aren't they?

On the illegal lottery - If you sell tickets to win something (in this case the opportunity to buy tickets) you need a permit in all states except QLD. The ARU did not. This was actually questioned and all of the states decided to let it go because it was good for the economy.

 

[yakstorm]

The ground holds 8,000 people so there wasn't much more room for people.

 

[Tidus_Raider]

It's definately a start for the French. now they have to build on this and hopefully a team in the English comp will provide that.

 

[JK]

The ground holds 8,000 people so there wasn't much more room for people.

So basically this was a sellout...cool.

I am so seriously annoyed that the only time I could make to get to Europe is in the middle of teh Kangaroo tour and the Word Club Challenge :evil:

At least I get to see a French game in January 8)

 

[Parra_Eels]

sounds bloody good for the future in france. and what was the french team actually made up of - was it people from the french league. also who were the two aussie french players

 

[Misanthrope]

JD- you are a deadset dickhead. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Grow up.

Comparing the RU WC fixtures to the NRL is like comparing the soccer World Cup to the NSL. You make the argument that Super 12 doesn't rate as well as the NRL because it's only a new comp- but hasn't Sydney Club Rugby been around longer than the NSWRL/ARL/SL/NRL phenomenon?

Why is it that the 'upstart' Sydney clubs managed to form a national comp whilst the Union clubs they sprang from still can't manage to do any better than ABC coverage and a crowd of hundreds?

Back on topic- I am incredibly pleased with the result. I stumbled drunkedly to the nearest Pay TV capable house this morning to watch the game. Was pissed off to find Fox had snobbed it in favour of a shite RU fixture which no one cared about the first time around. Saw Fulham hammer Man Utd though.

Chris

 

[eastsrule]

JD- you are a deadset dickhead. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Grow up.

Comparing the RU WC fixtures to the NRL is like comparing the soccer World Cup to the NSL. You make the argument that Super 12 doesn't rate as well as the NRL because it's only a new comp- but hasn't Sydney Club Rugby been around longer than the NSWRL/ARL/SL/NRL phenomenon?

Why is it that the 'upstart' Sydney clubs managed to form a national comp whilst the Union clubs they sprang from still can't manage to do any better than ABC coverage and a crowd of hundreds?

Back on topic- I am incredibly pleased with the result. I stumbled drunkedly to the nearest Pay TV capable house this morning to watch the game. Was pissed off to find Fox had snobbed it in favour of a shite RU fixture which no one cared about the first time around. Saw Fulham hammer Man Utd though.

Chris

Thanks Chris.

I agree Sydney Club Rugby has been around for in fact longer. But the clubs have always wanted to keep it amateur. It was only last year when 'Premier Rugby' was introduced. And I don't think many of the fans like it. They like watching a bit of amatuerism.

A Wallaby test match would get the same amount of coverage as an NRL Grand Final, probably less. Super 12 doesn't get NEARLY the same coverage as NRL. So it is putting things into perspective.

 

[obsulete]

A good showing v Australia and a world record score on the way to the final in the Med Cup is some more good news being delivered to the French sporting public before the ENC.