Nations Championship: Australia end losing streak as France and Scotland win

Australia end losing streak to thrash Italy

The Wallabies snapped a five-game losing streak and gave head coach Joe Schmidt a winning farewell after beating the Italians 57-10 at HBF Park.

Nine tries and six conversions in what was a completely one-sided affair in Perth, as Australia raced into a 38-5 half-time lead by which time the question was not whether Schmidt would be celebrating a win in his final game but how big a victory it would be.

Ultimately, the biggest one on Australian soil in 12 years.

Lock Josh Canham reaped the rewards of the attacking brilliance, crossing for a hat-trick, grabbing the first, fourth and seventh tries. Full-back Tom Wright scored the second, hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa the third before Italy captain Michele Lamaro got one back for the visitors.

Angus Bell and Len Ikitau scored in the final 10 minutes before half-time and Italy threatened a comeback with a Monty Ioane try early in the second 40, but Canham, Billy Pollard and Ben Donaldson pushed the Wallabies past 50 and saw them to a memorable victory.

France too hot to handle for Japan

The French ran in six tries to outclass the home side 42-15 in humid conditions in Tokyo, as the European side wrapped up their their Nations Championship southern hemisphere series.

Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lamothe scored two tries each for France, with Alexandre Roumat and Lucu bagging the other five-pointers.

Kippei Ishida and Sojiro Otsuka were on the score sheet in the first half for the hosts, but they couldn't match France on the day.

Scotland hit back in second half to overcome Fiji

Scotland came back from a 10-point at halftime but ultimately rallied to beat a much-improved Fiji 33-17 at Murrayfield.

Fiji had taken a thrashing against England last week, but had a good opening period to run in three tries against the hosts through hooker and captain Tevita Ikanivere, wing Selestino Ravutaumada and number eight Elia Canakaivata to take a 17-7 lead at halftime.

The Scots came alive after the interval and ran in a further four tries to go with Jonny Gray's opening five-pointer to seal the contest late on.

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