France stun Australia 29-26 after fire delay and 11-man spell
France recovered from a 19-point deficit and a spell down to 11 players to beat Australia's Wallaroos 29-26 in a Test in Aix-en-Provence delayed by a bus fire.
France beat Australia's Wallaroos 29-26 in Aix-en-Provence on Saturday, completing a comeback that left the home crowd stunned given the state the hosts found themselves in during the match.
France had been reduced to just 11 players at one stage of the contest, a numerical disadvantage that would ordinarily make any recovery unlikely.
They were also 19 points down against the Wallaroos before somehow turning the contest around to snatch victory, according to Guardian Rugby Union.
The Test was already an unusual occasion before that comeback took shape. The second half was delayed after a bus caught fire adjacent to the Stade Maurice David, the venue hosting the match.
Australian Associated Press described the France performance as undisciplined even as it produced the winning margin, with the hosts overturning their deficit despite playing a significant portion of the match a man light.
For the Wallaroos, the result will sting given the position they held during the contest. A 19-point lead and the numerical advantage that came from France's reduction to 11 players represented the platform for what looked set to be a significant away win.
Instead, Australia were left to reflect on an opportunity missed, with France's late surge proving decisive on a day that had already been disrupted by drama beyond the touchline.
French supporters inside the Stade Maurice David were left stunned at how their weakened side found a way back into, and ultimately won, a Test that had appeared beyond them.
The scoreline of 29-26 will stand as one of the more remarkable results of the international window, shaped as much by the fire delay and the France side's numerical setback as by the rugby played either side of it.