1994 France rugby league tour of Oceania

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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.

Contents

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  Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg29 – 22Flag of France.svg  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 Flag of New Zealand.svg
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Papua New Guinea
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France
FB1 David Buko
RW2 James Mirivi
RC3 David Gomia
LC4 Phillip Boge (c)
LW5 Ric Emmanuel
FE6 Tuksy Karu
HB7 Adrian Lam
PR8 Ben Biri
HK9 Ronald Vue
PR10 Tuiyo Evei
SR11 Max Tiri
SR12 James Naipao
LK13 James Sikai
Substitutions:
IC14 Stanley Gene
IC15 Nande Yer
IC16 Luke Waldiat
IC17 Matthew Yidi
Coach:
FB1 Jean Frison
RW2 Frantz Martial
RC3 David Despin
LC4 David Fraisse
LW5 Jean-Marc Garcia
SO6 Pierre Chamorin
SH7 Patrick Entat (c)
PR8 Bernard Llong
HK9 Patrick Torreilles
PR10 Theo Anast
SR11 Ezzedine Attia
SR12 Franck Esponda
LK13 Thierry Valero
Substitutions:
IC14 Stephane Tena
IC15 Georges Grandjean
IC16 Charles Giorgi
IC17 Christophe Martinez
Coach:
Flag of France.svg Jean-Christophe Vergeynst

Australia vs France

For the Australians, 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 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  Flag of Australia (converted).svg58 – 0Flag of France.svg  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 Flag of New Zealand.svg
Player of the Match: Laurie Daley Australian colours.svg
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Australia
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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:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Fulton
FB1 Jean Frison
LW2 Claude Sirvent
LC3 David Fraisse
RC4 David Despin
RW5 Jean-Marc Garcia
SO6 Pierre Chamorin
SH7 Patrick Entat (c)
PR8 Theo Anast
HK9 Patrick Torreilles
PR10 Bernard Llong
SR11 Patrick Acroue
SR12 Ezzedine Attia
LF14 Stephane Tena
Substitutions:
IC13 Jean-Marc Vincent
IC15 Cyril Baudouin
IC16 Christophe Martinez
IC17 Charles Giorgi
Coach:
Flag of France.svg 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  Flag of Fiji.svg20 – 12Flag of France.svg  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 Flag of Australia (converted).svg
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Fiji
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France
FB1 Veramu Dikidikilati
LW2 Orisi Cavuilati
RC3 Livai Nalagilagi
LC4 Fili Seru
RW5 Noa Nadruku
FE6 Noa Nayacaklou
HB7 Ropate Senikuraciri
PR8 Voate Vasekavu
HK9 Mesake Seavula
PR10 James Pickering (c)
SR11 Ulaiasi Wainidroa
SR12 Pio Nakubuwai
LK13 Samuela Marayawa
Substitutions:
IC14 Illiesa Toga
IC15 Jioji Vatubua
IC16 Iliesa Nakailagi
IC17 Kaleveti Naisoro
Coach:
Flag of Fiji.svg Pauliasi Tabulutu
FB1 Jean Frison
RW2 Frantz Martial
RC3 David Despin
LC4 David Fraisse
LW5 Claude Sirvent
SO6 Pierre Chamorin
SH7 Patrick Entat (c)
PR8 Bernard Llong
HK9 Patrick Torreilles
PR10 Theo Anast
SR11 Ezzedine Attia
SR12 Christophe Grandjean
LK13 Thierry Valero
Substitutions:
IC14 Stephane Tena
IC15 Cyril Baudouin
IC16 Charles Giorgi
IC17 Pascal Bomati
Coach:
Flag of France.svg 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