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France beat Georgia 64-7 to advance
MARSEILLE, 30 September –
An impressive France have beaten Georgia 64-7 to book themselves a place in the world cup quarter-finals.
The nine-tries-to-one victory gave the host nation the bonus point win they needed to give themselves the best chance of topping Pool D and avoiding a meeting with the All Blacks in Cardiff on Saturday.
However, that depends on Ireland scoring a bonus-point, seven point-plus win against Argentina.
Christophe Dominici, who crossed for a brace, was joined on the try-scoring sheet by Clement Poitrenaud, Yannick Nyanga, Lionel Beauxis, Sebastien Bruno, Lionel Nallet, Julien Bonnaire and Remy Martin. Beauxis put in an impressive kicking display with three penalties and five conversions to give France the convincing win.
The host nation was full of business from the outset, immediately getting on the front foot against the physical Georgians with some driving forward play and cohesive work out wide.
Poitrenaud brought the packed house to its feet when he chimed into a beautifully worked backline move and raced away to cross the line untouched in the seventh minute
Georgia prop Mamuka Magrakvelidze was sent to the sin bin in the 28th minute for obstructing play.
His loss was felt immediately as Nyanga strolled over the line for France's second converted try after scooping up a ball that spat out the back of a scrum close to Georgia's line.
The bonus point was secured in the 45th minute when Beauxis put in a clever cross-field kick that was snaffled by wing Dominici, who then had to step inside his marker to find his way to the line.
Georgia scored a deserved try when replacement forward Zviad Maisuradze barged over 10 minutes from time. Fly half Malkhaz Urjukashvili kicked the conversion.
Georgia never gave up, but it was a classy all-round display by France.