-
Related
France, without most of their best players, managed to overcome intense heat to beat the USA 39-31 in a one-off rugby union Test match on Sunday.
The USA were on top towards the beginning and the end of the match and France conceded five tries against the hosts mainly due to a lack of collective cohesion.
Yet hardly any of the French players who had played in the World Cup last October and November plus this year's Six Nations tournament, Fabien Pelous apart, were present.
Six players made their debuts - David Couzinet, Yannick Nyanga, Mathieu Barrau and Alexandre Peclier, plus Pierre Rabadan and Romain Froment who came on during the match at a venue which was a far cry from the traditional rugby heartlands such as Twickenham or Cardiff.
About eight thousand spectators were at the Rentschler Field stadium, a concrete structure below the surrounding ground level and situated near a motorway.
France had problems in their defensive play and the Americans ran in three tries during the first half through third rower Shaun Paga, flyhalf Mike Hercus and winger Jovesa Naivalu.
Meanwhile third rower Patrick Tabacco and centre Ludovic Valbon had touched down in the first half for France, who were on top in the line-outs and scrums.
Though France had a lot of possession, they did not make the most of it and suffered handling errors and poor tactical choices.
Although they were less than well organised, France imposed their game in the second half and killed the match in the space of nine minutes, thanks to the boot of Alexandre Peclier and tries from Mathieu Barrau, after a 60m run, and Thomas Lievremont.
The Americans at this stage were losing 21-32 and appeared physically tired.
The minute time-out, given by Italian referee De Santis during each half to enable the players to take in fluids, did not change the course of the match.
Pieter De Villiers scored France's fifth try in the 62nd minute, which was converted by Peclier, leaving them 39-21 ahead and virtually sure of victory though the USA had a late rally.
USA scored two tries from replacements in the last five minutes through winger Riaan Van Zyl and third rower Fifita Mo'unga but it was too little, too late.
The French negotiate their second Test match of their North American tour against Canada next Sunday in Toronto.
