Rugby Australia

Les Bleus led by 15 points in the first half after two Gabin Villiere tries but Wallabies captain Michael Hooper's late try closed France's lead to one.

France then kicked a penalty to touch but fumbled the resulting line-out and Australia won the decisive penalty.

The sides meet again on Tuesday in the second game of the three-match series.

It was Australia's second Test victory since the 2019 World Cup against a French side that have rested most of their Test starters.

Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said that would give the Wallabies time to rest after the bunched-up three-test series against France.

"At a worst case we're looking at August 7th as the first possible date that (the Rugby Championship) could happen," he told reporters.

"There's a good two, maybe three weeks after this (France) test series in order for the guys to recoup, refresh and get themselves ready."

World champions South Africa pulled out of last year's Rugby Championship against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina, citing player welfare concerns.

The first test is in Sydney on Wednesday, July 7 at the SCG followed by a Tuesday night Melbourne match at AAMI Park on July 13 and a final test on Saturday, July 17 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

The condensed series is due to French club commitments and hotel quarantine for the visitors.

It’s the first time since 2012 that the Wallabies have played a midweek test, with Australia losing that match to Scotland.

Both countries will name larger squads than normal for the series given it’s unlikely they can field the same starting side in successive tests.

Many of the Pacific Islands‘ brightest stars have been hoovered up by the likes of Australia and New Zealand for many years, while even the northern hemisphere nations have done the same in recent years.

Independent not-for-profit players association Pacific Rugby Welfare posted hypothetical teams for the three Pacific Island nations, which are made up of players who could have represented Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Planning for the mooted six-week competition had continued between New Zealand Rugby, Rugby Australia and Sanzaar with hopes that a trans-Tasman travel bubble would open in time.

"Today's news gives us even greater confidence to push forward with our plans and provides certainty to our teams, fans and stakeholders," New Zealand Rugby said in a statement.

Super Rugby Trans-Tasman would follow on from the conclusion of the Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU competitions.

New Zealand Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern is expected to announce at 4pm on Tuesday a potential date for the opening of a travel bubble with Australia.

Currently, there is only quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia and not the other way round.

The five-week Super Rugby trans-Tasman competition is scheduled to kick off on May 14 in Dunedin when the Highlanders host Queensland, with the five teams from each country squaring off each week.

There are 14 uncapped players in the squad, including Australian Sevens representative Tim Anstee, former Junior Wallabies hooker Lachlan Lonergan and veteran David Porecki.

Reds off-season signing Suliasi Vunivalu has also earned selection in the Wallabies camp squad, following an impressive return to the 15-man game in Harvey Norman Super Rugby AU.

Western Force recruit Sitaleki Timani is set to return to the national fold after an eight year absence, with the 34-year-old named in a Wallabies squad for the first time since the 2013 Spring Tour.

The Melbourne Rebels flyer can command more than $1 million a year playing overseas and is expected to quit Australian rugby at the end of 2021 when his contract is up.

Rennie said he’d love to keep Koroibete, who had gone from strength to strength in the past 12 months and is now a global star.

“I agree, he’s been fantastic, phenomenal,” Rennie said.

“There’s been a couple of games he’s played this year where he’s been the best player on the field and you’ve only got to reflect back to the Bledisloe Cup game in Brisbane, he was sensational that day.

All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Brodie Retallick, Springbok Malcolm Marx and Wallaby Samu Kerevi, among many others, will ply their trade in Japan's domestic competition this year, before it turns fully professional in 2022.

Foreign coaches such as Robbie Deans (ex Crusaders), Todd Blackadder (ex Crusaders) and Frans Ludeke (ex Bulls) are also passing on their intellectual property, but even as they forge ahead in Japan they keep an eye on rugby's direction in their own countries – and there are concerns.

A host of law changes were introduced in last year's domestic tournament after Covid-19 forced the suspension of traditional Super Rugby.

They will remain in 2021, but with some tweaks, when the season begins next Friday under a new broadcast deal that includes games on free-to-air television for the first time.

Red-carded players can be replaced by a substitute after 20 minutes, while a five-second time limit to use the ball once available will also be policed to eradicate tedious "caterpillar" rucking.