Preview: Australia v France

VENUE & TIME: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Saturday July 5, 8:00pm AEST.
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 37 – Australia 19, France 16, Draw 2.
LAST TIME: Australia 34-13 France, June 28, 2008 (Sydney).

WALKING WOUNDED: The Wallabies will be without winger Lote Tuqiri (knee) and No.8 Wycliff Palu (shoulder) after the pair suffered minor injuries in the Sydney Test, while prop Matt Dunning will again sit out with a corked leg. France suffered three casualties from their first-up loss and must enter the clash without the services of full-back Pepito Elhorga (shoulder), prop Lionel Faure (knee) and 64-Test veteran Damien Traille (back).

FORM: Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock issued his side with a pass-mark after last week's 34-13 victory while coach Robbie Deans labelled it an improvement. But while their defensive effort was very encouraging, they again lacked cohesion in attack with the exception of the opening 20 minutes of the second half. The under-strength French kept trying last week and finished the stronger of the two sides, but they struggled to contain their more experienced opponents when the Wallabies got their act together in attack.

WHO'S HOT: Peter Hynes' dream run continued on Saturday night adding man-of-the-match honours to his player's-player award earned on debut against the Irish in Melbourne. It was another assured performance from the 25-year-old winger who once again displayed his ability to find a gap with a number of impressive darts through a stubborn French defensive line. For the visitors, outspoken flyer Alexis Palisson showed his legs can move just as quickly as his mouth after the 20-year-old vowed to embarrass opposite number Lote Tuqiri before the first Test. Palisson delivered on his promise with his first touch showing blistering speed to beat the dual international on his outside and later showed great strength to crash through Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock's attempted tackle for his side's only try of the match.

WE THINK: The Wallabies showed promising signs last start and just might click this week against an even less experienced Les Bleus line-up in Brisbane. Indeed, the new-look French backline boasts a mere 13 Test caps while Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock have amassed 118 between them. Expect France to keep trying all night but the Wallabies will get home in a canter - Wallabies by 25 plus.

TEAMS:

Australia: 1. Benn Robinson, 2, Stephen Moore, 3. Al Baxter, 4. James Horwill, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 6. Rocky Elsom, 7. Phil Waugh, 8. Stephen Hoiles, 9. Luke Burgess, 10. Matt Giteau, 11. Lachie Turner, 12. Berrick Barnes, 13. Stirling Mortlock, 14. Peter Hynes, 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Reserves: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Ben Alexander, 18. Dean Mumm, 19. George Smith, 20. Sam Cordingley, 21. Ryan Cross, 22. Cameron Shepherd.

France: 1. Pierre Correia, 2. Sebastien Bruno, 3. Renaud Boyoud, 4. Sebastien Chabal, 5. Lionel Nallet (c), 6. Matthieu Lievremont, 7. Imanol Harinordoquy, 8. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 10. Francois Trinh-Duc, 11. David Janin, 12. Thibault Lacroix, 13. Maxime Mermoz, 14. Alexis Palisson, 15. Benjamin Thiery.
Reserves: 16. Benjamin Kayser, 17. Benoit Lecouls, 18. David Couzinet, 19. Louis Picamoles, 20. Yannick Caballero, 21. Dimitri Yachvili, 22. Jean-Baptiste Peyras.