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MELBOURNE, July 11 (Reuters) - France defeated Australia 42-26 in a Nations Championship rugby test in Brisbane on Saturday, overturning a 21-12 half-time deficit with a sustained, dominant second-half surge. Among eight changes to the starting XV following their narrow 34-32 loss to New Zealand, Olympic sevens gold medallist Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang marked his test debut with two tries, one in each half, as Les Bleus ran in four unanswered second-half tries to secure a bonus-point victory. New Zealand-born lock Emmanuel Meafou opened the scoring for France in the third minute before receiving a yellow card for a high tackle, a spell in which Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight crossed for two tries to put the hosts in front at the break. After the interval, scrumhalf Maxime Lucu cut the deficit with a long-range penalty, triggering a French onslaught that Australia failed to contain. Grandidier-Nkanang’s second try followed a sharp line-break from Yoram Moefana and a deft chip from fullback Matthieu Jalibert, before Tom Wright’s yellow card for not rolling away helped open further space in the Wallabies’ defence. Flyhalf Romain Ntamack then stepped through multiple tackles to score, lock Florian Verhaeghe dived under the posts, and winger Theo Attissogbe finished another sweeping move set up by Kalvin Gourgues. Jeremy Williams scored a late consolation try for Australia, who slipped to a ninth defeat in 10 tests under coach Joe Schmidt and will next meet Italy, while France head into their final mid-year Nations Championship match against Japan with renewed confidence.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.