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 Patrick Entat.
|
|
Papua New Guinea vs France
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) |
| Papua New Guinea | Position | France |
|---|---|---|
| David Buko | FB | Jean Frison |
| James Mirivi | WG | Frantz Martial |
| David Gomia | CE | David Despin |
| Phillip Boge (c) | CE | David Fraisse |
| Ric Emmanuel | WG | Jean-Marc Garcia |
| Tuksy Karu | SO | Pierre Chamorin |
| Adrian Lam | SH | Patrick Entat (c) |
| Ben Biri | PR | Bernard Llong |
| Ronald Vue | HK | Patrick Torreilles |
| Tuyio Evei | PR | Theo Anast |
| Max Tiri | SR | Ezzedine Attia |
| James Naipo | SR | Franck Esponda |
| James Sikai | LF | Thierry Valero |
| Stanley Gene | Int. | Stephane Tena |
| Nande Yer | Int. | Georges Grandjean |
| Luke Waldiat | Int. | Charles Giorgi |
| Matthew Yidi | Int. | Christophe Martinez |
| Coach | Jean-Christophe Vergeynst |
Australia vs France
6 July 1994 |
Australia  |
58 – 0 | France |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Steve Renouf (3) Laurie Daley (2) Ian Roberts Brett Mullins Mal Meninga Andrew Ettingshausen Paul McGregor Goals: Mal Meninga (5/10) Tim Brasher (0/2) |
[2] | Try: Goals: |
| Australia | Position | France |
|---|---|---|
| Brett Mullins | FB | Jean Frison |
| Michael Hancock | WG | Jean-Marc Garcia |
| Mal Meninga (c) | CE | David Despin |
| Steve Renouf | CE | David Fraisse |
| Andrew Ettingshausen | WG | Claude Sirvent |
| Laurie Daley | SO | Pierre Chamorin |
| Allan Langer | SH | Patrick Entat (c) |
| Paul Harragon | PR | Theo Anast |
| Steve Walters | HK | Patrick Torreilles |
| Ian Roberts | PR | Bernard Llong |
| David Fairleigh | SR | Patrick Acroue |
| Paul Sironen | SR | Ezzedine Attia |
| Brad Fittler | LF | Stephane Tena |
| Tim Brasher | Int. | Cyril Baudouin |
| Brad Mackay | Int. | Charles Giorgi |
| Paul McGregor | Int. | Jean-Marc Vincent |
| Mark Hohn | Int. | Christophe Martinez |
| Bob Fulton | 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.
Following the disaster of France's 1981 tour where the standard of the French teams play had dropped alarmingly resulting in poor attendances for the tests in Brisbane and Sydney, the Australian Rugby League had ruled that until they upped 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.[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 (indeed this was France's 11th loss in a row in all tests since 1992), the game was played in front of a ground record attendance of 27,318 which as of 2016 remains the record attendance for the venue. This was also the highest attendance for an Australia vs France test since 54,290 attended the World Cup Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 10 June 1968.
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.
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) |
| Fiji | Position | France |
|---|---|---|
| Veramu Dikidikilati | FB | Jean Frison |
| Orisi Cavuilati | WG | Frantz Martial |
| Livai Nalagilagi | CE | David Despin |
| Fili Seru | CE | David Fraisse |
| Noa Nadruku | WG | Claude Sirvent |
| Noa Nayacaklou | SO | Pierre Chamorin |
| Ropate Senikuraciri | SH | Patrick Entat (c) |
| Voate Vasekavu | PR | Bernard Llong |
| Mesake Seavula | HK | Patrick Torreilles |
| James Pickering (c) | PR | Theo Anast |
| Ulaiasi Wainidroa | SR | Ezzedine Attia |
| Pio Nakubuwai | SR | Christophe Grandjean |
| Samuela Marayawa | LF | Thierry Valero |
| Illiesa Toga | Int. | Stephane Tena |
| Jioji Vatubua | Int. | Cyril Baudouin |
| Livai Nalagilagi | Int. | Charles Giorgi |
| Kaleveti Naisoro | Int. | Pascal Bomati |
| Pauliasi Tabulutu | 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
- Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
- Australia national rugby league team
- Fiji national rugby league team