1994 French rugby league Oceania tour

The 1994 French rugby league Oceania tour was a three test tour by the France national rugby league team. The French team played single tests against Papua New Guinea, Australia and Fiji, losing all three games.

Team

The French were coached by Jean-Christophe Vergeynst and captained by veteran halfback Patrick Entat.

Papua New Guinea vs France

This would be Papua New Guinea's 5th test win in their 34th test (and their second win over France) since gaining test match status in 1975.

26 June 1994
Papua New Guinea  29 – 22  France
Tries:
Tuiyo Evei
Stanley Gene
David Gomia
James Mirivi
James Naipo
Goals:
Tuksy Karu (3)
Ric Emmanuel (1)
Field Goals:
Stanley Gene
[1] Try:
David Fraisse
Jean-Marc Garcia
Bernard Llong
Christophe Martinez

Goals:
Patrick Torreilles (3)
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Dennis Hale
Papua New Guinea
France
FB1David Buko
RW2James Mirivi
RC3David Gomia
LC4Phillip Boge (c)
LW5Ric Emmanuel
FE6Tuksy Karu
HB7Adrian Lam
PR8Ben Biri
HK9Ronald Vue
PR10Tuiyo Evei
SR11Max Tiri
SR12James Naipao
LK13James Sikai
Substitutions:
IC14Stanley Gene
IC15Nande Yer
IC16Luke Waldiat
IC17Matthew Yidi
Coach:
FB1Jean Frison
RW2Frantz Martial
RC3David Despin
LC4David Fraisse
LW5Jean-Marc Garcia
SO6Pierre Chamorin
SH7Patrick Entat (c)
PR8Bernard Llong
HK9Patrick Torreilles
PR10Theo Anast
SR11Ezzedine Attia
SR12Franck Esponda
LK13Thierry Valero
Substitutions:
IC14Stephane Tena
IC15Georges Grandjean
IC16Charles Giorgi
IC17Christophe Martinez
Coach:
Jean-Christophe Vergeynst

Australia vs France

For the Australian's, Brett Mullins, David Fairleigh, Tim Brasher, Paul McGregor and Mark Hohn all made their test debut, though Brasher had been Australia's fullback in the 1992 World Cup Final at the famous Wembley Stadium (at the time, tests and World Cup games were counted separately in a players records).

Although the name had been used for 86 years, this was the first test other than during a Kangaroo Tour where the Australian team was officially called The Kangaroos.

6 July 1994
Australia  58 – 0  France
Tries:
Steve Renouf (3)
Ian Roberts (2)
Laurie Daley (2)
Mal Meninga
Brett Mullins
Andrew Ettingshausen
Paul McGregor
Brad Fittler
Goals:
Mal Meninga (5/10)
Tim Brasher (0/2)
[2] Try:








Goals:
Parramatta Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 27,318
Referee: Dennis Hale
Man of the Match: Laurie Daley
Australia
France
FB1 Brett Mullins
LW2 Michael Hancock
RC3 Mal Meninga (c)
LC4 Steve Renouf
RW5 Andrew Ettingshausen
FE6 Laurie Daley
HB7 Allan Langer
PR8 Ian Roberts
HK9 Steve Walters
PR10 Paul Harragon
SR11 Paul Sironen
SR12 David Fairleigh
LF13 Brad Fittler
Substitutions:
IC14 Paul McGregor
IC15 Tim Brasher
IC16 Brad Mackay
IC17 Mark Hohn
Coach:
Bob Fulton
FB1Jean Frison
LW2Claude Sirvent
LC3David Fraisse
RC4David Despin
RW5Jean-Marc Garcia
SO6Pierre Chamorin
SH7Patrick Entat (c)
PR8Theo Anast
HK9Patrick Torreilles
PR10Bernard Llong
SR11Patrick Acroue
SR12Ezzedine Attia
LF14Stephane Tena
Substitutions:
IC13Jean-Marc Vincent
IC15Cyril Baudouin
IC16Christophe Martinez
IC17Charles Giorgi
Coach:
Jean-Christophe Vergeynst

In the French team's first test in Australia since 1990 and in what would prove to be Australian captain Mal Meninga's final test in Australia after announcing that he would retire at the end of 1994, the Australian Kangaroos racked up a record winning margin in the first ever test match at Parramatta Stadium (and the first test in Sydney played at a suburban ground rather than a major venue) by defeating the hapless French 58–0. The scoreline could well have been higher (as much as 72–0) had Meninga (5/10) and Tim Brasher (0/2) been more accurate with their goal kicking.

Following the disaster of France's 1981 Australasian tour where the standard of the French teams play had dropped alarmingly resulting in poor attendances for the tests at Lang Park in Brisbane and the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Australian Rugby League had ruled that until they improved their game, the Australian team would no longer play tests against the French in the two capital cities. The 1990 test, France's first in Australia since 1981 (following the cancelled 1987 tour) had been played on a freezing night in the New South Wales country town of Parkes in front of a capacity crowd of 12,384 fans at the Pioneer Oval.[3] The attendance for that game, and that it was Mal Meninga's last test match in Australia, saw the ARL relax their stance and allow the game to be played in Sydney.

Despite the French team not being regarded as a top line international team any more (this was France's 11th loss in a row in all tests since 1992 and their 10th loss in a row to Australia since 1981), the game was played in front of a ground record attendance of 27,318 which as would remain the record attendance for the venue until it was demolished in 2017. This was also the highest attendance for an Australia vs France test since 54,290 attended the 1968 World Cup Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

This was the only rugby league test match played in Australia during 1994. At the end of the year the Australian's would embark on their successful 1994 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France during which they again defeated France 74–0 in Béziers. At the time the 74–0 score was a world record test match victory eclipsing the 58–0 win here in Sydney. Of this test team, only reserve forward Mark Hohn was not selected to the 1994 Kangaroo Tour.

France would not play another test against Australia until 2004 while they would not play again in Australia until the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

Fiji vs France

9 July 1994
Fiji  20 – 12  France
Tries:
Orisi Cavuilati
Ropate Senikuraciri
Illiesa Toga
Ulaiasi Wainidroa
Goals:
Noa Nayacaklou (1)
Ropate Senikuraciri (1)
[4] Try:
Christophe Grandjean
Claude Sirvent


Goals:
Pierre Chamorin (1)
Patrick Torreilles (1)
National Stadium, Suva
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Graham Annesley
Fiji
France
FB1Veramu Dikidikilati
LW2Orisi Cavuilati
RC3Livai Nalagilagi
LC4Fili Seru
RW5Noa Nadruku
FE6Noa Nayacaklou
HB7Ropate Senikuraciri
PR8Voate Vasekavu
HK9Mesake Seavula
PR10James Pickering (c)
SR11Ulaiasi Wainidroa
SR12Pio Nakubuwai
LK13Samuela Marayawa
Substitutions:
IC14Illiesa Toga
IC15Jioji Vatubua
IC16Iliesa Nakailagi
IC17Kaleveti Naisoro
Coach:
Pauliasi Tabulutu
FB1Jean Frison
RW2Frantz Martial
RC3David Despin
LC4David Fraisse
LW5Claude Sirvent
SO6Pierre Chamorin
SH7Patrick Entat (c)
PR8Bernard Llong
HK9Patrick Torreilles
PR10Theo Anast
SR11Ezzedine Attia
SR12Christophe Grandjean
LK13Thierry Valero
Substitutions:
IC14Stephane Tena
IC15Cyril Baudouin
IC16Charles Giorgi
IC17Pascal Bomati
Coach:
Jean-Christophe Vergeynst

In what was Fiji's first official rugby league test match, they defeated the French team 20–12 at the National Stadium in Fiji's capital city of Suva.

Aftermath

The French team were in the grip of a 22 match losing streak (which included two drawn tests), not having won a test since defeating Papua New Guinea 28–14 in Carcassonne on 24 November 1991. They would not win another rugby league test match until defeating South Africa 30–17 in Arles on 6 December 1997.[5]

See also

References

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