1994 France rugby league tour of Oceania

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

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

Papua New Guinea vs France

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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.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Papua New Guinea
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
France
FB 1 David Buko
RW 2 James Mirivi
RC 3 David Gomia
LC 4 Phillip Boge (c)
LW 5 Ric Emmanuel
FE 6 Tuksy Karu
HB 7 Adrian Lam
PR 8 Ben Biri
HK 9 Ronald Vue
PR 10 Tuiyo Evei
SR 11 Max Tiri
SR 12 James Naipao
LK 13 James Sikai
Substitutions:
IC 14 Stanley Gene
IC 15 Nande Yer
IC 16 Luke Waldiat
IC 17 Matthew Yidi
Coach:
FB 1 Jean Frison
RW 2 Frantz Martial
RC 3 David Despin
LC 4 David Fraisse
LW 5 Jean-Marc Garcia
SO 6 Pierre Chamorin
SH 7 Patrick Entat (c)
PR 8 Bernard Llong
HK 9 Patrick Torreilles
PR 10 Theo Anast
SR 11 Ezzedine Attia
SR 12 Franck Esponda
LK 13 Thierry Valero
Substitutions:
IC 14 Stephane Tena
IC 15 Georges Grandjean
IC 16 Charles Giorgi
IC 17 Christophe Martinez
Coach:
  Jean-Christophe Vergeynst

Australia vs France

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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   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  
Player of the Match: Laurie Daley  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Australia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
France
FB 1   Brett Mullins
LW 2   Michael Hancock
RC 3   Mal Meninga (c)
LC 4   Steve Renouf
RW 5   Andrew Ettingshausen
FE 6   Laurie Daley
HB 7   Allan Langer
PR 8   Ian Roberts
HK 9   Steve Walters
PR 10   Paul Harragon
SR 11   Paul Sironen
SR 12   David Fairleigh
LF 13   Brad Fittler
Substitutions:
IC 14   Paul McGregor
IC 15   Tim Brasher
IC 16   Brad Mackay
IC 17   Mark Hohn
Coach:
  Bob Fulton
FB 1 Jean Frison
LW 2 Claude Sirvent
LC 3 David Fraisse
RC 4 David Despin
RW 5 Jean-Marc Garcia
SO 6 Pierre Chamorin
SH 7 Patrick Entat (c)
PR 8 Theo Anast
HK 9 Patrick Torreilles
PR 10 Bernard Llong
SR 11 Patrick Acroue
SR 12 Ezzedine Attia
LF 14 Stephane Tena
Substitutions:
IC 13 Jean-Marc Vincent
IC 15 Cyril Baudouin
IC 16 Christophe Martinez
IC 17 Charles 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

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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
FB 1 Veramu Dikidikilati
LW 2 Orisi Cavuilati
RC 3 Livai Nalagilagi
LC 4 Fili Seru
RW 5 Noa Nadruku
FE 6 Noa Nayacaklou
HB 7 Ropate Senikuraciri
PR 8 Voate Vasekavu
HK 9 Mesake Seavula
PR 10 James Pickering (c)
SR 11 Ulaiasi Wainidroa
SR 12 Pio Nakubuwai
LK 13 Samuela Marayawa
Substitutions:
IC 14 Illiesa Toga
IC 15 Jioji Vatubua
IC 16 Iliesa Nakailagi
IC 17 Kaleveti Naisoro
Coach:
  Pauliasi Tabulutu
FB 1 Jean Frison
RW 2 Frantz Martial
RC 3 David Despin
LC 4 David Fraisse
LW 5 Claude Sirvent
SO 6 Pierre Chamorin
SH 7 Patrick Entat (c)
PR 8 Bernard Llong
HK 9 Patrick Torreilles
PR 10 Theo Anast
SR 11 Ezzedine Attia
SR 12 Christophe Grandjean
LK 13 Thierry Valero
Substitutions:
IC 14 Stephane Tena
IC 15 Cyril Baudouin
IC 16 Charles Giorgi
IC 17 Pascal 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

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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

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References

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