French full back Ugo Mola celebrated a personal triumph of three tries in Bordeaux yesterday but it simply flattered an unimpressive French side as they beat Namibia 47-13.
France, booed off at half-time after a series of elementary errors that had left them just 23-13 ahead, outscored the Nambibian farmers by six tries to one but rarely showed the fluency required of World Cup winners, let alone group winners. Under-fire captain Raphael Ibanez was replaced with 15 minutes to go.
France had extended their lead early in the second-half as recalled out-half Christophe Lamaison fed Mola on the blindside and the 26 year old, who had only retained his place because Thomas Castaignede was ruled out of the tournament through injury on Thursday, touched down for his sixth international try. Mola added a second seven minutes later after constant French pressure told on the the weary Namibians. He claimed his hat-trick soon after, cutting in to take a pass from winger Philippe Bernat-Salles and forcing his way over.
Bernat-Salles, who was France's outstanding player on a forgettable night for the team, fed Ntamack for the next try, his 24th in 37 Tests, after Lamaison had delivered a clever defence-splitting pass to the winger.
It had been Bernat-Salles who had given France some breathing space at the end of the first-half as he profited from a Namibian error to score a try. Earlier a try by winger Arthur Samuelson had rocked the dreadful French.
Bernat-Salles's score was a cruel blow to the Namibians who had looked France's equals, particularly after Samuelson burst onto a Francois van Rensburg pass to get between the French centres and score under the posts in the 20th minute.
French scrum-half Pierre Mignoni opened the scoring for France, Richard Dourthe converted, but Namibia's classy full back-turned-winger Leandre van Dyk reduced the deficit four minutes later with a penalty.
A bad night for France got worse when number eight Thomas Lievremont went off injured in the 26th minute.
France: U Mola; P Bernat-Salles, R Dourthe, S Glas, E Ntamack; C Lamaison, P Mignoni; T Lievremont, O Magne, M Lievremont, F Pelous, O Brouzet, F Tournaire, R Ibanez (capt), C Califano. Replacements used: A Benazzi, C Desbrosse, A Coste, C Soulette, M Dal Maso, X Garbajosa, S Castaignede.
Namibia: G van Wyk; L van Dyk, F van Rensburg, S van der Merwe, A Samuelson; C Zaayman, R Jantjies; S Furter, M van Rooyen, Q Hough (capt), P Steyn, H Senekal, G Opperman, H Horn, M Jacobs. Replacements used: E Smith, J Theron, S Janse van Rensberg Rock Loubser, A Blaauw. Replacements not used: L Holtzhausen, H Lintvelt.
Referee: C White (Eng)
