France 41 USA 14
France's second string produced an excellent first-half performance to beat the United States in their final World Cup pool match in Wollongong today and go into the quarter-finals with a 100 per cent record.
Three tries by centre Brian Liebenberg and touchdowns for Yannick Bru and Jean Baptiste Poux carried Les Bleus to victory, although their effort waned afterthe break.
The United States also lifted their game and thoroughly deserved to all but match the French in the second half.
The French pack created the substance of the victory in the first 40 minutesas they consistently outdid the Americans at every scrum and even took threeagainst the head.
One of those tightheads produced the second try of the match as the Eagles'bigger pack were shoved backwards in the 18th minute and the French backs movedthe ball wide to the left for Liebenberg to dive over.
It was the big Stade Francais centre's second touchdown of the game, his firstcoming when full-back Clement Poitrenaud sliced through the American backlineto set up a superb attacking opportunity.
Quick ball enabled Liebenberg to go through and score on his World Cupdebut.
The third try of the half underlined the French dominance, as Les Bleus setup a driving maul and Poux was powered over.
With Gerald Merceron kicking three penalties and a conversion the French werewell on top as they turned into the wind.
America were also hit hard by the departure of outstanding number eight DanLyle, who left the field just before the half hour with concussion sufferedwhen collected a knee in the head from his own centre, Paul Eloff.
But the Eagles showed that they had some sparkle with two well-worked triesat the start of the first half, bracketing Liebenberg's hat-trick try.
First Kort Schubert went over off a smart pass from Mike Hercus before YannickBru struck back within a few minutes, then Hercus threw a sharp dummy close tothe line for his own try.
It was generally a far more committed and effective performance by the Eaglesafter the break, although the following wind was not the key factor.
Their defensive patterns provided a greater obstacle to the attackingmovements of the French and the forwards lifted themselves to take on theiropponents far more consistently.
France also began to throw passes and try attacks which were not realisticand the USA inevitably picked up more possession as a result.
USA coach Tom Billups will be wondering why his side only began to reallyplay after the break, although they were helped by a diminished French effort.Flanker Sebastien Chabal's match ended earlier than he would have hoped whenhe was yellow carded for repeated infringements at the ruck - the only realmoment of controversy in a clean match.
A drop-goal by Dmitri Yachvili in the 62nd minute proved to be the lastscoring action of a game France won in the first half, while America earnedgenuine parity in the second.
The result means France now await the loser of Saturday's clash betweenAustralia and Ireland in a quarter