Giroud equals Henry’s goal record as France survive scare to thrash Australia

Lucas Hernandez was on the ground, writhing in pain with a stretcher on its way. Hugo Lloris could at least get back up but was enduring another sort of agony entirely, having dived too low when the ball was heading for the net's roof.

Craig Goodwin got on the ground of his own accord, sliding to his knees in the ecstasy of a 30‑year‑old South Australian journeyman who had just scored nine minutes into his first World Cup. Ibrahima Konaté was stunned. Kylian Mbappé hung his head. Was this the champion's curse? Were Australia about to pull a Saudi Arabia?

That is not how this story ended, but it did it cater well to the narrative of France's temperament. Zinedine Zidane was surely watching, finger‑steepling from afar, scheming after reports he has reached a preliminary agreement to take over from Didier Deschamps after the tournament.

The alternative narrative is that France are notoriously slow starters at World Cup finals and they needed just another 18 minutes for Adrien Rabiot to equalise and another five after that for Olivier Giroud to score the first of his two goals. Giroud is now level with Thierry Henry's all-time record of 51.

Mbappé added to the scoreline after the break for a victory that after Denmark's earlier stalemate with Tunisia has the title holders on track to top this group.

That the game did not blow out further was partly through France's profligacy - they had 23 shots to Australia's four - and partly Australia's tenacity in the face of this exorbitantly talented team.

The gulf in class is undeniably vast, even when, at one brief point in the second half, the Socceroos had 12 players on the pitch. Even without the injured Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema et al, France's depth is frightening. Their 38th-ranked counterparts are young and inexperienced - half of the squad have 10 caps or fewer and only four more than 50. They are viewed internationally as little more than fodder for Golden Boot aspirants.