McKenzie expects French backlash
Australian coach Ewen McKenzie was expecting a major backlash from France in their second Test in Melbourne this coming Saturday.
Les Bleus were outclassed by a rampant Wallaby team, the Aussies winning 50-23 in the opening Test in Brisbane at the weekend – scoring seven tries.
Neither McKenzie nor his players were getting carried away with their big win in the opening match of the three-Test series.
"They [France] are the one team in the world that can change more than half their team and get a result in the following week," McKenzie told a post-match media briefing.
"We've seen it so many times it's not funny.
"They have some heavyweights sitting there on the sidelines.
"It's not as though we'll be playing [against] the same team.
"They could come at us in a very different way."
Wallaby scrumhalf Nic White warned that France would take momentum from Morgan Parra's late try and a penalty try from a scrum disintegration as Saint-Andre rung the changes after trailing 50-9 with nine minutes left.
"It's a showcase of what they can do," White said.
"They're a passionate side and their pride has been stung. They will come out and make up for that."
Halfback partner Bernard Foley agreed the seven-try pounding will leave a bitter taste for the French team.
"They won't take that lightly," he said.
"They will come out steaming."
