Wallabies v France: Sloppy Australia suffer first loss under Michael Cheika, falling 29-26 to Les Bleus France rugby player Mathieu Bastareaud centre raises his arms to celebrate with teammates their 29-26 victory over Australia during their rugby union international match at the Stade De France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Saturday Nov. 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Source: AP Wallaby coach Michael Cheika selected Quade Cooper on the bench to perform some magic in the final moments of Sunday morning's Test against France, but he fell just short of conjuring a win as the Aussies went down 29-26 in a heart-stopper. Cooper came on with 20 minutes remaining and Australia seemingly out of the contest, but a slipped pass to a careering Rob Simmons who scored five minutes from full-time set up the prospect of the unlikeliest of wins. With two minutes remaining, the Wallabies on the charge five metres out, and the French holding on for dear life like Australia has in its last two Tests, Cooper was in position to pull one last rabbit out of his hat, but Ben Alexander spilt the ball forward and it was game over. Israel Folau didn't add to his Wallabies try tally against France. Given the number of mistakes the Wallabies made throughout the match it would have been unfair if France had lost, but as the All Blacks showed against Australia three weeks ago, all that matters is the final score. All week Cheika has been promising his players that the French at Stade de France would be different animals to the meek lambs who went down 3-0 to Australia in June. He was right. In front of a chanting, singing, whistling crowd, the French were at various times, lions, cheetahs and rams, butting heads with the Australian runners. The Wallabies tried to play the power game in both attack and defence that Cheika hopes to instil before the Rugby World Cup in 12 months" time, but the French played it better. They gave the Australian runners little room to move, and when the Wallabies did get into good position, all too often they let themselves down. In the last 20 minutes alone when deep in French territory they gave away penalties on their own scrum and lineout feeds. The Wallabies almost got off to the perfect start when a French clearing kick was charged down close to the line after just 45 seconds, but Simmons knocked-on trying to scoop up the ball and a certain try went begging. French winger Teddy Thomas scored his fourth Test try in his second appearance. The Australian forwards kept to the script from last week against Wales, playing the power running game off the inside backs, but just like the Welsh, the French weathered the early storm before scoring first. After five minutes French five-eighth Camille Lopez chipped wide into the arms of winger Yoann Huget, who broke through tackles to within 10 metres from the line. Huget looped the ball inside to South African-born fullback Scott Spedding who was forced out by Australian winger Joe Tomane just centimetres from scoring. From the lineout and ensuing maul, Australia's forward running game came unstuck with lock James Horwill knocking-on seven metres from the line. With memories of last weekend's penalty try fresh in their minds, the Wallaby scrum held, forcing the French to go for the quick heel and maul. It proved just as costly, halfback Sebastien Tillous-Borde diving over and Lopez converting for a 7-nil lead after eight minutes. Australia struck back with a penalty goal to Bernard Foley from the kick-off but there were ominous signs, with French defenders moving up fast and forcing the Australian ball runners into error. A dropped ball by Israel Folau off a long pass from Nick Phipps looked certain to cost Australia dearly when Lopez sliced through the Australian defence and, with a man unmarked on either side, chose to kick for the corner, Tomane just beating Huget to the ball. The teams swapped penalty goals, but it was a spectacular try to French winger Teddy Thomas that had the French crowd ecstatic and Australian defensive coach Nathan Grey shaking his head. Australia centre Adam Ashley-Cooper scored in his 102nd Test. The communication between players that Wallaby coach Cheika has been preaching all tour was sadly lacking when first Foley let a high kick bounce inside 22 metres bounce and then five Australian defenders let Thomas step through them on a 30 metre charge to the line. The extra man was made by hooker Guilhem Guirado, who sent Thomas on his way, but there was no way he should have got through Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Leali'ifano, Horwill and Phipps. Ashley-Cooper had another unsuccessful crack at bringing him down on the line, and Hooper arrived too late. Lopex converted for 17-6 after 28 minutes. With the French defence up in the Australians" faces and forcing them backwards, it seemed as though the Wallabies were in for a repeat of the 36-12 "ambush" they suffered on their last visit to Stade de France. France's captain Thierry Dusautoir celebrates victory over the Wallabies. To their credit the Australian forwards dug in six minutes before half-time, forming a powerful driving maul 10 metres out from the French line. With referee Nigel Owens playing advantage, Foley threw a dummy and set up Ashley-Cooper who dived over. Foley's converted for 17-13. The score inspired the Australians who started stringing passes together and making ground. The French, over-eager to shut down the attack, were caught offside. Foley landed the penalty to take the score to 17-16 at the break and set up the prospect of an exciting second half. France 29 (Tillolus-Borde, Thomas tries, Lopez 2 goals, 3 penalty goals, Kockott penalty goal) beat Australia 26 (Ashley-Cooper, Simmons tries, Foley 2 goals, 3 penalty goals).