PARIS :France coach Fabien Galthie said his side remained well short of the level they reached in the previous World Cup cycle despite Saturday’s 48-33 win over Australia in the Autumn series, warning that repeated lapses in discipline and defence continued to hold them back.

Galthie said the first-half performance — they went into the break tied 19-19 after conceding a string of penalties — showed how far France had slipped since entering the 2023 World Cup as one of the favourites, only to be knocked out by South Africa by a single point in the quarter-finals.

“We can always question our production, especially in the first half with the indiscipline,” Galthie said.

“If we compare with four years ago, we’re not at the same level. Back then we were more solid, more consistent, with 24 w

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