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Wallabies playmaker Matt Giteau has regained his mojo to spearhead Australia to a record 40-10 Test blitz of France at Suncorp Stadium.
Giteau set up all four Australian tries and kicked eight from eight with the boot for a personal haul of 20 points to ensure a 2-0 series whitewash for the Wallabies.
It was easily Australia's best performance under new coach Robbie Deans who would have been well pleased with the match as a Tri-Nations warm-up.
But the display was tarnished by injuries, including a broken leg for luckless replacement back Cameron Shepherd.
Centre Berrick Barnes (shoulder) and lock James Horwill (eye socket) were also sent to hospital for precautionary scans as reserve Ryan Cross flashed over for two second-half tries from Giteau cut-out passes.
Expected to put up a much stiffer fight than in the 34-13 loss in Sydney last weekend, the French were their own worst enemies throughout the match.
Terrible first-half ball handling was compounded by ill-discipline under immense Australian pressure at the breakdown, while the visitors also conceded a tight-head to the Wallabies scrum.
The 30-point victory eclipsed the Wallabies' 35-12 1999 World Cup final win as their biggest over Les Bleus.
Australia's highest-paid rugby player, Giteau, who produced one of his most forgettable halves of Test rugby last week, was on song from the outset.
He opened the home side's account in just the third minute with an angled penalty goal, his first of four three-pointers in a dominant opening half.
The Wallabies first five-pointer came soon after when in-form local winger Peter Hynes scored a cherished maiden Test try in front of his 40,218-strong home crowd.
Sharp vision and a perfectly-placed cross-field kick by Giteau gave Hynes an easy take and run to the right corner after a slick lineout drive.
A wild brawl just before half-time drew Australian blood and showed some of Les Bleus' renowned passion still existed in their last game of a long season.
Horwill, only minutes after finishing a brilliant try, was forced into the blood bin after being on the receiving end of a flurry of Imanol Harinordoquy upper-cuts.
Horwill, who played no further part in the match, was penalised for sparking the all-in brawl by running into a fracas between hooker Stephen Moore and the French flankers.
When Giteau latched on to a charged down Luke Burgess pass and spun his way through the defence before flicking a pass to Horwill in the 36th minute, Australia seemed as good as home at 26-0.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4609083a1823.html
Giteau set up all four Australian tries and kicked eight from eight with the boot for a personal haul of 20 points to ensure a 2-0 series whitewash for the Wallabies.
It was easily Australia's best performance under new coach Robbie Deans who would have been well pleased with the match as a Tri-Nations warm-up.
But the display was tarnished by injuries, including a broken leg for luckless replacement back Cameron Shepherd.
Centre Berrick Barnes (shoulder) and lock James Horwill (eye socket) were also sent to hospital for precautionary scans as reserve Ryan Cross flashed over for two second-half tries from Giteau cut-out passes.
Expected to put up a much stiffer fight than in the 34-13 loss in Sydney last weekend, the French were their own worst enemies throughout the match.
Terrible first-half ball handling was compounded by ill-discipline under immense Australian pressure at the breakdown, while the visitors also conceded a tight-head to the Wallabies scrum.
The 30-point victory eclipsed the Wallabies' 35-12 1999 World Cup final win as their biggest over Les Bleus.
Australia's highest-paid rugby player, Giteau, who produced one of his most forgettable halves of Test rugby last week, was on song from the outset.
He opened the home side's account in just the third minute with an angled penalty goal, his first of four three-pointers in a dominant opening half.
The Wallabies first five-pointer came soon after when in-form local winger Peter Hynes scored a cherished maiden Test try in front of his 40,218-strong home crowd.
Sharp vision and a perfectly-placed cross-field kick by Giteau gave Hynes an easy take and run to the right corner after a slick lineout drive.
A wild brawl just before half-time drew Australian blood and showed some of Les Bleus' renowned passion still existed in their last game of a long season.
Horwill, only minutes after finishing a brilliant try, was forced into the blood bin after being on the receiving end of a flurry of Imanol Harinordoquy upper-cuts.
Horwill, who played no further part in the match, was penalised for sparking the all-in brawl by running into a fracas between hooker Stephen Moore and the French flankers.
When Giteau latched on to a charged down Luke Burgess pass and spun his way through the defence before flicking a pass to Horwill in the 36th minute, Australia seemed as good as home at 26-0.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4609083a1823.html
