The Australian's Emma-Kate Symons reviews the media response in France to the national side's hammering at the hands of the Wallabies.
"Following their "pulverisation" (59-16) before a capacity crowd at the Stade de France by "les Australiens", newspapers, public debates and online chatter are awash with the story of the collective national shame over "A Terrible humiliation", as Le Figaro lamented.
"The French awoke yesterday to the announcement of two grim and seemingly linked phenomenon: the nation threatened by the debt crisis that is driving the Euro to record lows, and "the total failure of French rugby", in the words of Sud Ouest newspaper.
"Plucked like chickens!" L'Equipe screamed in one of multiple references to the French national symbol of le coq, or the rooster. The team was even likened to squashed pate and petrified chickens."
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