Australia v France: third rugby union Test match – live!

7.59am EDT 07:59

80 mins: Australia 33-30 France – The siren sounds. One finally drive.

7.58am EDT 07:58

80 mins: Australia 33-30 France – Slow ball on halfway on the left wing. Australia’s forwards performing superbly to slow the play down, invite contact, and keep the ball alive legally…

Until they don’t. France offered a penalty at the breakdown with 30 seconds left. Near enough halfway, on the right wing. Does Jaminet have the distance? France go for touch!

7.57am EDT 07:57

79 mins: Australia 33-30 France – Can Australia secure the restart? Yes!

7.57am EDT 07:57

PENALTY! Australia 33-30 France (Lolesio, 79)

The Wallabies lead again! Surely that’s it. Surely…

7.55am EDT 07:55

77 mins: Australia 30-30 France – Massive scrum from Australia – they have bullied France in that department all night. Eventually the penalty advantage is awarded, and soon cashed in. Lolesio will line up again, 30m out, on a slight angle. You’d back him in.

7.54am EDT 07:54

76 mins: Australia 30-30 France – Neither side wants the ball after the restart – and it’s a kicking duel that ends with a France knock-on! Lolesio’s chase pressurised the garryowen and Australia have a scrum 30m out…

7.53am EDT 07:53

PENALTY! Australia 30-30 France (Jaminet, 75)

25m out dead in front, Jaminet doesn’t miss those. Scores level again. This deserves to end in a tie.

7.52am EDT 07:52

74 mins: Australia 30-27 France – Can Australia see off the victory? Gah! France leap to claim the high restart. Two phases later the ball’s infield and there’s a high-tackle from Valetini and France have an immediate opportunity to reply.

7.51am EDT 07:51

PENALTY! Australia 30-27 France (Lolesio, 72)

42m out, dead straight, Lolesio caresses the penalty over and Australia lead at the death!

7.49am EDT 07:49

72 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Australia secure the lineout and Valetini hits a very very flat (forward?) ball to drive into French territory. Paenga-Amosa then carries. inviting Frenchman to the breakdown, and forcing a penalty Australia’s way!

7.48am EDT 07:48

70 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Incredible kick from France. Huge boot downfield that bounces 12m in, takes a massive leg-break and rolls out 10m from the line. It’s a rare shaky lineout from the Wallabies but McDermott does magnificently to dummy and dance through contact to set up a ruck from which France commit a penalty. Now only ten minutes remaining with the ball in dispute on halfway.

7.46am EDT 07:46

68 mins: Australia 27-27 France – How will the French scrum hold up with its own feed 5m out from its own line? It’s sketchy, but it holds up long enough for Couilloud to break and head back down that favoured short side, the left. Australia look to have smuggled the ball into touch on the 22, but a gold hand is spotted in contact and it’s a blue lineout. The ball is safe and the kick clears to halfway. 12 minutes remaining, ball in dispute, scores level. What a finish.

7.44am EDT 07:44

67 mins: Australia 27-27 France – France shove early, Australia tap the free-kick and Naisarani hurls towards the line. France hold them up 2m short. Paisami has a go, Valetini launches, Hooper thinks about a dart but the ball instead goes to Paenga-Amosa, who dives – and he’s over! Try for Australia!

Hmmm. France are adamant there’s a knock-on. Australia are desperate to take the conversion before the TMO can get involved, but to no avail. The replay shows clearly Paisami loses control on his carry. No try! Gah! So close for the Wallabies.

7.40am EDT 07:40

65 mins: Australia 27-27 France – This one needs resetting. Tupou is pounding Walcker.

7.39am EDT 07:39

65 mins: Australia 27-27 France – The Wallabies get some wheels after the shove and before there’s a chance for a play off the back there’s another penalty Australia’s way.

Another 5m scrum. Tension building.

7.37am EDT 07:37

63 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Hooper calls for a 5m scrum. This has been a ballsy half for a side a man down.

7.37am EDT 07:37

63 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Australia have dominated set-piece ball tonight, and it continues again with a clean 5m attacking lineout. The maul takes a while to rumble, but when it does it soon collapses and Australia earn the penalty. The Wallaby forwards can be proud of their work tonight.

7.35am EDT 07:35

61 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Australia earn a penalty advantage from the scrum. McDermott keeps play moving infield, then back to the right wing, before Valetini straights up infield. Lolesio accepts contact as the Wallabies probe, but the momentum ebbs away and play returns to that penalty. It’s kicked deep into the right corner.

7.34am EDT 07:34

60 mins: Australia 27-27 France – For the first time this series Australia are playing the percentages – and it’s paying off. The second voluntary box kick in succession earns a turnover in France territory, again Thomas targeted on France’s left wing.

7.32am EDT 07:32

58 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Lolesio misses! 30m out bang in front… This crazy game takes another twist.

7.31am EDT 07:31

57 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Solid lineout from Australia on their own 22. Hooper wants to run for a couple of phases but eventually accepts the need to kick for territory. The chase is blistering and Hodge cleans up Thomas for a textbook turnover on halfway. McDermott then orchestrates a drive left, then right, with runners like Hodge and Swain pinching metres if not miles. As the phases rack up there’s a penalty for offside – and Lolesio has a simple kick to return his 14-man side ahead.

7.28am EDT 07:28

55 mins: Australia 27-27 France – Another monster of a sub, Bamba this time, smashes into the tackle inside Australia’s half and he forces a penalty France’s way. 30 out, 10 in, Jaminet misses! Remember where you were when the French fullback missed a kick for goal.

7.26am EDT 07:26

TRY! Australia 27-27 France (Tupou, 52)

The previous try was a consequence of France exposing the space left by Australia’s red card. They go again along a similar route following the restart but this time Ikitau nails the tackle and earns the penalty turnover. The kick to the corner is secured safely by the Wallaby lineout, off which Paenga-Amosa darts to the line and is inches short! The move continues with massed ranks over the ball and a series of pick-and-go efforts repelled by desperate defence until Tupou is too low, too strong, too determined, and like a rutting bison he brings the scores almost level… Lolesio dots the i’s and crosses the bar with his conversion. 27-all! Will these sides ever be separated!?

7.22am EDT 07:22

TRY! Australia 20-27 France (Barassi, 48)

ALLEZ LES BLEUS! Magnifique from France. From the scrum deep in their own territory France score a try straight from the gods. The ball is sent through hands to the left and Thomas chips and chases his own ball at speed. The pass infield is good, then it’s catch and pass until Barassi has the room to cross. Exhilarating rugby.

7.19am EDT 07:19

47 mins: Australia 20-20 France – Excellent lineout then a maul, followed by a splintered maul, with enough momentum to keep the ball moving towards France’s line. But then the immense Woki steps in and rips possession back for France.

Time for the subs to enter the fray, starting with Bell and Tupou in Australia’s front-row.

7.18am EDT 07:18

46 mins: Australia 20-20 France – Another reset scrum eventually holds for the Wallabies to secure the ball and allow Paisami to hammer clear. France run the ball back and again it’s ambitious but poorly executed with combination play too intricate on the left edge. Hooper then hammers Hastoy and monsters the breakdown to force the turnover. The long kick downfield offers Australia their first attacking platform of the half.

7.16am EDT 07:16

44 mins: Australia 20-20 France – Australia’s restart is weak and France are soon back on the attack through Jaminet. There’s space on the short side, the right, but the flick pass out of the breakdown is forward and the Wallabies can regroup. They defended excellently in a couple of separate passages there the home side.

7.14am EDT 07:14

42 mins: Australia 20-20 France – France throw the ball around following a lineout on halfway. The Wallabies do well do close the broken field and slow the phases down. After eight phases, increasingly slow, Jaminet attempts a drop-goal from 40m, but it’s weak and floats wide.

7.13am EDT 07:13

Two-and-a-half matches into this series, and the scoreline remains dead even. Will the deadlock be broken in the next 40 minutes?

7.05am EDT 07:05

“You wonder why numbers are down for rugby in Australia,” emails Rhys Austin, “the red card to Koroibete was atrocious. Thats enough for me!”

I can see that point of view, and my initial reaction was one of astonishment at a formidable tackle. But we all have to recognise we are at the moment of transition in all contact sports around the world and incidents like those have to be seen through a different lens. Head contact is verboten, responsibility will always be with the tackler, and we have to adjust as a community.

Sonny Bill Williams is interesting on TV. He argues for a “commonsense rule” that acknowledges an indiscretion from Koroibete, but recognises the intent was purely to land the tackle. Other pundits are ropable.

7.00am EDT 07:00

“It always amazes me that try scorers do not attempt to get as close to the posts as possible,” emails a frustrated Steve Ditchburn. “If I was coach I would discipline them – they are risking the two extra points for the sake of a flamboyant dive!”

A man after my own heart Steve. Although, the way these guys kick nowadays it hardly matters unless there’s a gale blowing.

6.57am EDT 06:57

Half-time: Australia 20-20 France

Lolesio does kick the simple penalty, bringing a breathless incident-packed half to a close.

6.57am EDT 06:57

40 mins: Australia 17-20 France – Yet again the scrum doesn’t pack down correctly first time. “Stability” demands the referee. He gets it second time allowing McDermott to feed Hodge, then recycle play for four meaty drives to the left before returning infield. Seven phases, then eight, all narrow drives until Hooper darts through a gap with McDermott on his shoulder. He’s dragged down inches short! There’s penalty advantage on the play though, which is called after an expansive hail-mary to the right wing from Lolesio doesn’t go to hand. So close twice for the Wallabies, but they’ll be happy with the three point gimme to enter the sheds even.

6.53am EDT 06:53

39 mins: Australia 17-20 France – Good restart from the Wallabies pressurises France as they try to clear. It earns them a lineout just outside the 22 that results in a set play with Ikitau on the burst. The ball keeps coming back, until it doesn’t. A chaotic breakdown with knock-ons from both sides ends with turnover ball. In an instant there’s a kick ahead and Thomas is rapid, sprinting to collect the bouncing ball and touch down. It’s awarded a try on-field, but the TMO wastes no time pointing out the knock-on.

Instead of seven points for the visitors, it’s a home scrum inside the 22 with seconds left in the half.

6.51am EDT 06:51

TRY! Australia 17-20 France (Woki, 26)

The previous phase ended with an Australian offside that France tapped to advantage 5m form the line, instead of kicking the penalty. It was a smart call. After Falatea smashed into the Wallabies’ defence the ruck formed and the athletic Woki was marshalling it before leaping over the pack to touch down. He is some player.

Jaminet adds the extras, and France are back in front. Some half this.

6.48am EDT 06:48

36 mins: Australia 17-13 France – Better from France in the scrum, but off the back Jaminet kicks to Banks, who kicks back – straight into touch – and France have a lineout 10m inside Australia’s half.

Off the lineout France expand and attack at speed. Jaminet is crucial on the right edge, eating up the ground. He feeds Couilloud inside but the scrum-half cannot beat a superb McDermott tackle near the line and leaves the lock Cazeaux on his inside hanging. Cazeaux recycles the ball, but will rue not receiving the assist for a simple try.

6.45am EDT 06:45

34 mins: Australia 17-13 France – Snappy lineout from the Wallabies, followed by a quick phase to keep the tempo high. McDermott is doing a good job keeping Australia moving around the ground. But just as I type that he’s pinged for a knock-on at the breakdown and France have the scrum feed 10m inside their own half.

6.43am EDT 06:43

32 mins: Australia 17-13 France – The kick reaches the 22 and the resulting lineout is snaffled safely. The maul doesn’t gather momentum so the ball heads infield to Paisani on the burst, then a few pick and go drives before the play is switched back to the short side, the right, where Paisani tries the long cutout pass to Hodge but it misses the target and goes into touch. France execute the lineout and kick to halfway.

6.41am EDT 06:41

30 mins: Australia 17-13 France – France get their hands on the ball for the first time in a while and run dangerously up the guts. They reach Australian territory and then benefit from the referee’s decision with a toss-up scrum call. Again the collision of 900kg of rugby muscle takes a couple of goes, and after the second failure Australia are awarded the penalty. The Wallaby scrum is right on top tonight, even without Tupou.

6.39am EDT 06:39

PENALTY! Australia 17-13 France (Lolesio, 26)

Lolesio cannot miss from under the crossbar.

“Is there a sport on the planet worse at replay than rugby union?” asks Justin Hegarty by email. Are any sports enhanced by replays? Bin them all, I say, and tell everyone to stop whingeing about decisions.

6.37am EDT 06:37

23 mins: Australia 14-13 France – Australia opt to run for a few phases after an early incursion from Paenga-Amosa off a lineout. It proves successful, with metres gained earning an advantage for a Jelonch high tackle on Paisami on the 22. As you can imagine, the crowd gets right into the scene, demanding cards (which are not necessary).

6.35am EDT 06:35

23 mins: Australia 14-13 France – Now it’s France’s turn to nearly score out of th eblue. Australia dwell on the ball 30m out and by the time the ball is sent back for the clearing kick there’s time for a charge-down. Hooper regathers and McDermott completes the clearing kick, France come straight back and Jaminet almost carves through but Paisami is strong in defence. Forletta is then penalised on the ground after the tackle, and Australia escape.