For 40 minutes, the Wallabies were world-beaters. Then reality kicked in

July 11, 2026 — 8:58pm

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Can we go through the good things, first? It won’t take long.

They were: Fraser McReight; the Wallabies’ line-out and scrum; Taniela Tupou on the burst with the wind his hair; Tom Wright’s kicking game; Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii doing tap-backs from the kick-off; and pretty much the whole first half!

After that, it got grim ... so let’s expand on the good stuff. Oh come on, just for a moment.

McReight was a colossus from first to last. If he is not in the very front rank of the best back-rowers in the world right now, I at least can’t think of a better one. He scored two tries, monstered the French in defence, effortlessly ripped balls off the French at will and was a constant dangerous presence.

In the scrum, the Wallabies at least held their own and our lineout worked smoothly to the point of winning all of ours, and pinching a couple of theirs. As to Tupou on the burst? Long ago, the former Wallabies fullback turned TV commentator Greg Martin famously exclaimed upon........

© The Age