Nations Championship news: Romain Ntamack and France's brilliant spine stun Wallabies in Brisbane
France underlined their Nations Championship credentials with a superb second-half performance to defeat Australia 42-26 in Brisbane on Saturday, turning a closely contested Test into a convincing victory through the brilliance of their playmakers.
After trailing at stages during an entertaining first half, Les Bleus raised their intensity after the interval as Maxime Lucu, Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert combined to dictate territory, tempo and possession, leaving the Wallabies unable to match France's quality in the wider channels.
It was another reminder that while France continue to rotate personnel, the depth of talent available across their backline remains among the very best in international rugby.
France's spine controlled everything
Much of the pre-match discussion centred on Ntamack's return and Jalibert's move to full-back.
By full-time, both decisions had been emphatically justified.
Lucu once again controlled proceedings superbly from scrum-half, varying the tempo of France's attack while repeatedly putting runners into space with accurate distribution and intelligent game management.
Alongside him, Ntamack looked composed throughout his return, balancing territory with attack and consistently making the right decisions under pressure.
Jalibert's influence from full-back added another dimension altogether.
Rather than simply acting as a counter-attacking threat, he repeatedly entered the line as a second distributor, stretching Australia's defence before releasing France's dangerous outside backs into space.
Wallabies fade after encouraging start
Australia once again showed encouraging signs during the opening 40 minutes.
The Wallabies carried with purpose, competed well at the breakdown and looked capable of matching France physically.
However, the second half told a very different story.
As France increased the speed of their passing and began attacking wider channels, Australia's defensive line struggled to contain the movement and accuracy of the visitors.
Captain Harry Wilson admitted his side failed to maintain their standards after the break.
"We were very happy going in at half-time,” the Wallabies captain said. “21-12 up, we put ourselves in a great position there.
Then the big second half and we're learning that you need to play a good 80 minutes.
“We keep losing moments and allowing a team like France to put on 30 unanswered points, it's not good enough," Wilson added.
READ MORE: Will Jordan breaks All Blacks try record as New Zealand's electric backline powers past Italy
France's depth continues to impress
One of the biggest positives for Fabien Galthié was the contribution made throughout his squad.
Lock Emmanuel Meafou praised both Australia's performance and France's growing squad depth after the match.
"It's awesome, we studied them all week and I think it was a challenge for us to come and play.
“Credit to the Wallabies. That was a tough first half.
“We have a lot of depth in the team, and I think that's one thing that the French do really well is kind of rotate their players and make sure everyone gets a run."
That depth was evident as France's replacements maintained the intensity rather than allowing Australia back into the contest.
Ntamack leads by example
Player of the Match Ntamack produced exactly the kind of composed display France had hoped for following his return.
The fly-half admitted the Wallabies had made life difficult during the opening exchanges but credited his side's persistence.
"Really proud of all the players,” the France star said.
“It was a very tough first half, and we knew that it wasn't going to be easy against the Wallabies.
“Second half, we thought we needed to keep going, keep pushing, and it paid off.
“Really very happy about the second half," he concluded.
His performance reinforced just how influential he remains within France's attacking structure.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Nations Championship news: Handré Pollard shines as Springboks overcome spirited Scotland
France continue to grow
If there is one conclusion to draw from this performance, it is that France's backline has become one of the most complete in world rugby.
The Lucu-Ntamack partnership provides control and composure, Jalibert offers creativity from the back, while France's outside backs continue to finish opportunities with ruthless efficiency.
Despite a sixth-straight Test-match loss, Australia deserve credit for another competitive opening half and continue to show encouraging signs in their overall play.
But against a French side capable of raising both the tempo and precision of their attack after half-time, the Wallabies simply could not keep pace.
With every passing week, France look increasingly capable of challenging any side in world rugby.
READ NEXT: World Cup 2026: Julián Álvarez wondergoal sends Argentina past Switzerland into England semi-final
