Player ratings: Oz fall flat
The Wallabies were outplayed in just about all departments as they slumped to a demoralising 33-6 defeat to France in Paris on Saturday.
Australia lost the battle up front and as a result their entire team was on the back foot against a French team that kept them under pressure across the park.
The pressure on coach Robbie Deans will only intensify as they contemplate bouncing back at the end of what has been an incredibly tough year.
We rate the Australian players:
15 Mike Harris:
Made a few breaks but otherwise had a poor game. Shaky under the high ball, slipped some tackles and threw a few loose passes which put his teammates under pressure.
5/10
14 Adam Ashley-Cooper:
Very quiet by his standards, tried his best to make something of the scraps he was given but did not have the opportunity to impose himself out wide.
5/10
13 Ben Tapuai:
Showed glimpses of class despite being under constant pressure. Got his hands out the tackle and even ripped ball off the opposition but did not have the patform he needed.
6/10
12 Pat McCabe:
Direct as ever, and that was about it. Carried it up hard but battled to get over the gainline up against the stout French defence.
5/10
11 Nick Cummins:
Showed good intent and commitment every time he featured but was more of a loose cannon than anything else and lost the ball too often in contact.
5/10
10 Kurtley Beale:
Attacked the gainline hard and tried to spark something on attack but he was playing off the back foot and without much support.
6/10
9 Nick Phipps:
A poor game from the young scrumhalf, he provided sloppy service which put those outside him under pressure and looked out of his depth.
4/10
8 Wycliff Palu:
Used his powerful frame to commit plenty of French defenders and barge over the gainline but lacked the finesse to bring other around him into the game.
6/10
7 Michael Hooper:
Did not stop working hard and popped up all over the park in another energetic display but was fighting a lone battle at times.
6/10
6 Dave Dennis:
Provided a solid option at the back of the line-out but not too much apart from that. His handling let him down and he could not make much of an impact on the French defence.
5/10
5 Nathan Sharpe (captain):
Something of an anonymous outing for the experienced skipper who battled to keep up with the intensity of the contest.
5/10
4 Kane Douglas:
Was not able to provide the necessary grunt and seemed to go through the motions rather than make his mark on the game.
5/10
3 Sekope Kepu:
Showed his value in the loose with a few good runs but did not deliver in his key roles up front and got penalised at the breakdown as well.
5/10
2 Tatafu Polota Nau:
Flung himself at the opposition as usual and showed good determination to stay on his feet in the tackle but his line-out throwing was erratic and he did not receive enough support from the rest of the tight five.
6/10
1 Benn Robinson:
Was put under pressure by Nicolas Mas and looked as if the long season has caught up with him as he faded out of the game.
5/10
Replacements:
16 Stephen Moore (On for Polota-Nau, 59 mins):
Took over the captaincy when he came on and made an impact with a few determined runs.
7/10
17 James Slipper (On for Kepu, 49 mins):
Let his team down by losing the ball in the tackle and getting blown up for binding at scrum-time in a forgettable contribution.
3/10
18 Paddy Ryan (On for Robinson, 65 mins):
Did not make much of an impact in his time on the park, with a few carries his only real contribution.
6/10
19 Rob Simmons (On for Sharpe, 65 mins):
Lucky to get away with a dangerous tackle and otherwide failed to impose himself on the game.
5/10
20 Radike Samo (On for Palu, 59 mins):
Injected a bit of urgency and made some valuable ground with the ball in hand but it was not enough to turn the tide.
6/10
21 Liam Gill (On for Dennis, 69 mins):
Added some energy and enthusiasm in his limited time on the pitch.
6/10
22 Brett Sheehan:
Not used
23 Berrick Barnes (On for Harris, 55 mins):
Tried his best to get the Wallabies in opposition territory by kicking often and joined the line on attack but did not do enough to seriously trouble the French.
6/10
By Michael de Vries