God's Own Rugby Team...

[magpie in the 80's]

A bit of ping-pong kicking now. Palisson get's it on the wing and has a run, he throws a wild pass inside and the French are in trouble...good cleaning up from the French loose forwards.

The Aussies are on the attack now from the line-out, Giteau puts in a magnificent cross field kick to Hynes out wide....he gathers, TRY Australia! Lovely take by Hynes.

Giteau scores the conversion pushing Australia to a 10 point lead.

australia 10

france 0

8M in.

[magpie in the 80's]

France on the attack now as they move it through the hands in the Wallaby 22.
The Aussie defence is looking solid and they win a scrum for a French knock-on.
Baxter is penalised at scrum time and the French are back on the attack.

[magpie in the 80's]

The Wallabies are looking under pressure at scrum time.
France are threatening the Australian try-line and win a penalty for offside.
Trinh-Duc lines it up and ....misses! 10-0 it remains.
Bloody frogs

[magpie in the 80's]

ok restart from the 22, Giteau goes deep and starts a kicking contest. Turner tries a high ball but makes a hash of it and France have possession.

Oops a daisy as Hugh would say, Lacroix spills it and gives the Wallabies a scrum.

Giteau goes skywards with the kick and the Wallaby backs are chasing.

Thiery has put the French offside again....

Giteau lines up the penalty from 40m

And another 3 points for the wallabies

australia 13

france 0

16M in.

[magpie in the 80's]

After the re-start Australia steal a French line-out in centre field but the French turn it right back over at ruck two phases later.

They pick and drive. Now Trinh-Duc puts it high up into the night sky...Tuner is under it and it bounces out of his arms. get him a wheat bag to catch it

The game is stopped as a few players receive some attention....lots of magic spray

[magpie in the 80's]

OOH the French centres open the Australian defence up like a can of sardines, get those cats outta here.

Mortlock and Giteau are having a few problems on defence.

The French pass was a mile forward though....

[magpie in the 80's]

The ball goes to and fro in midfield. France win the ball back in a ruck inside their own half, Elsom charges down a Trihn-duc kick but Palisson is on hand to clean up.

Another penalty to Australia... GITEAU converts as australia extends their lead to 16 points

australia 16

france 0

[magpie in the 80's]

Picamoles comes on for France as Harinordoquy is forced off with a neck injury.

The French scrum is looking solid, making life tough for Burgess.

Les Frogs drive it up but Mortlock does good work and rips it off them.

Giteau hammers it up field.

The French have had 66% possession but haven't scored yet!

[magpie in the 80's]

France are penalised for hanging on. The "Caveman" Chabal isn't happy

yet another easy conversion for the boy from the western force.

australia 16

france 0

[magpie in the 80's]

Trinh-Duc gives it plenty of air again. Turner calls for it...but can't get there.

Palisson fields a kick through at the back and has a run. He's wrapped up by a bunch of Wallaby forwards.

Penalty for hanging on........................and Giteau finds touch yet again.

get some more numbers for the scoreboard. we might need them

[JAS]

Love your calls Mags...thanks from the rugby union wilderness

Don't you dare start picking on the 'thinking womans' Neanderthal'

Go Chabal haha

Regards
JAS

[magpie in the 80's]

After the re-start Giteau breaks the line with a brilliant run, then props up a great pass out the back of his hand to Horwill who flies over the line like a jumbo jet. another try for the rampaging wallabies.

Giteau scores the extras. as he would. lead now out to 26

australia 26

france 0

[magpie in the 80's]

Its on in the centre pitch area. Massive punch up in midfield, blows flying in all around.

Horwill and Bruno kick it off and now it's a free for all. Horwill is bleeding like a boxer....Harinordoquy punched the hell out of the Aussies lock.

The only guy to go off the field at the end of it though is Horwill to get cleaned up....tensions running high here in Brisbane but much higher on the ground

[magpie in the 80's]

It's all France in the closing minutes of the first half. They're laying siege to the Australian line.

Trinh-Duc comes close but doesn't have the weight to push over. (what frog would against a wallaby)

The French get a penalty and choose to go for the posts.

The French fly-half Trinh-Duc gets his side on the score board, but it was his opposite number who was the star of the show - Matt Giteau's kicking, out of hand or from the tee was superb.

That fight looks like it's fired up the French team, they'll need all the fire they can to get into the second period!

australia 26

france 3


halftime

Australia
PENT 4 Min (Giteau)
TRY 7 Min (Hynes)
CONV 8 Min (Giteau)
PENT 16 Min (Giteau)
PENT 23 Min (Giteau)
PENT 30 Min (Giteau)
TRY 36 Min (Horwill)
CONV 37 Min (Giteau)

France
PENT 40 Min (Trinh-Duc)

[magpie in the 80's]

as the game comes to a stop for halftime i can hear the cry of the catering staff:

get your "HOT CHIPS, MEAT PIES, CHIKO ROLLS."



as the commentary team gets stuck in

[magpie in the 80's]

C'MON Guys wipe your faces and get back in the commentary booth for the 2nd half!!!!

[magpie in the 80's]

munch munch munch......Ok here we go for the second half.

Harinordoquy can't catch and hands Australia a scrum near the French 10m line.

Once again the French scrum thumps the Aussies....and wins a penalty.

Trinh-Duc, who's moved to centre finds touch for an attacking line-out for Le Frogs

[magpie in the 80's]

strange France make a change early in the 2nd half, Mermoz has left the field for France, replaced by Boyet, who takes over at fly-half.

Berrick Barnes has stayed down with a shoulder injury but gets up eventually.

France are on the attack again trying to rumble it up 6 or 7 metres out...Boyet tries the kick pass out wide...Janin can't get there in time though.

[magpie in the 80's]

Horwill knocks on in the line-out and the French have a 5m scrum.

Baxter is suffering big time in the scrums.

The French pick and go but Elsom is there to push them back...

[magpie in the 80's]

France win another scrum...then another penalty and choose... another scrum!

It's real stop start stuff, but the French are getting the better of the tight exchanges