Rugby: French talking up Wallabies

For the French rugby team it's a no-brainer. The current Wallabies are a better unit than the All Blacks and pose the biggest hurdle of their three-match tour.

So with the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup opener looming in Auckland in three weeks, tonight's test at ANZ Stadium will offer a handy barometer.

Captain Thierry Dusautoir, who led the French to their first Dave Gallaher Trophy triumph over the All Blacks on points differential, offered a clear assessment of the Tri-Nations pecking order.

"Australia are now the best team in the south, although South Africa impressed me against the Lions. The Australians have very few weaknesses," he told French newspaper L'Equipe.

It has been a common theme in Sydney this week. Said assistant coach Emile Ntamack on arrival: "We know the next game will be the hardest game of the tour."

Forwards coach Didier Retiere concurred, saying an All Black side without Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ali Williams and Sitiveni Sivivatu hardly struck fear into their rivals.

"Our team was quite young [but] it was maybe easier for us and we can see that Australia with all these players ... I think it will be very hard.

"I think that New Zealand are maybe more instinctive [than Australia], they like to play in the gaps.

"Australia are more structured with very talented players but they are like a machine."

The Wallabies also face their toughest test this year after a 50-point stroll over the Barbarians, then victory by a combined 45 points in two tests against Italy.

Coach Robbie Deans reverted from an experimental lineup against Italy in Melbourne to his strongest side for the French.

Injured flanker Rocky Elsom is the only notable absentee, while highly paid winger Lote Tuqiri continues to be on the outer despite his presence in their 30-man squad.

While his team are settled, Deans struck his first speed bump this week when reports emerged of breaches of team protocol in Melbourne.

The Australian newspaper reported Tuqiri, fellow winger Peter Hynes and Adam Ashley-Cooper - preferred to young star James O'Connor at fullback this week - entered Crown Casino at 1.15am last Wednesday. Reports also circulated of a post-test drinking binge involving a number of players.

"We're currently conducting inquiries into potential breaches around team protocol and/or the code of conduct," an ARU spokesman said.

Deans' biggest must-improve areas against France were those which showed up the All Blacks in their 22-27 defeat in Dunedin - the breakdown and the rolling maul.

Interestingly, Deans named two openside flankers, David Pocock and Phil Waugh, on his bench.

"The French will target our breakdowns, it's not difficult to see that coming and they exposed the All Blacks in that area," Deans said.

France meanwhile had their own disruptions, with centre Mathieu Bastareaud sent home with facial injuries, while combative forward Sebastien Chabal soon followed with a calf muscle injury.

Coach Marc Lievremont made seven changes to his run-on side and reshuffled his backline, including a different halves combination in Dimitri Yachvili and pivot Lionel Beauxis, the latter well remembered by the All Blacks for his starring role in their 2007 World Cup elimination.

Sydney, 10 tonight

AUSTRALIA
A. Ashley-Cooper
Lachie Turner
Stirling Mortlock (c)
Berrick Barnes
Drew Mitchell
Matt Giteau
Luke Burgess
Richard Brown
George Smith
Dean Mumm
Nathan Sharpe
James Horwill
Al Baxter
Stephen Moore
Benn Robinson

FRANCE
Damien Traille
Maxime Medard
Florian Fritz
Maxime Mermoz
Cedric Heymans
Lionel Beauxis
Dimitri Yachvili
Julien Puricelli
F. Ouedraogo
Thierry Dusautoir
R. Millo-Chluski
Pascal Pape
S. Marconnet
Dimitri Szarzewski
Fabien Barcella

Australia: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander, Phil Waugh, David Pocock, Josh Valentine, Ryan Cross, James O'Connor.

France: To be named.

- NZPA