Australia must make big improvements for Saturday's return Test against France, as the sterner test of the Tri-Nations series looms ever closer, reports said Monday.

The Australians beat a depleted France 34-in Sydney at the weekend in a performance coach Robbie Deans rated as an improvement on the 18-12 win over Ireland in Melbourne a fortnight earlier.

But the Wallabies' opening half was error-prone and commentators said their renaissance must accelerate against France in Brisbane on Saturday to prepare for the Tri-Nations against World Cup champions South Africa and New Zealand.

"Fair enough, the France Test did represent a marked improvement on the Ireland match," The Australian newspaper said. "The set pieces were solid, while the Australian back row forwards clearly outmuscled their French counterparts.

"The Wallabies had three Tests to bed down the Deans approach before the real shooting war starts and they have used up two without getting close to where they need to be going into the Tri-Nations."

The newspaper said progress had been made but now had to come "in a rush in the re-match with Les Bleus in Brisbane".

The Daily Telegraph said the Wallabies were slowly improving under Deans.

"Be patient Australia. The Wallabies are slowly, but surely, transforming," the newspaper said.

The Sydney Morning Herald said the players had described Deans as relatively calm during his half-time team talk even though the Wallabies had performed miserably in the first half.

"In the past, the Wallabies would have braced themselves for a mid-game blast. Former coach Eddie Jones was particularly renowned for his half-time scattergun attacks," the Herald said.

"But Deans instead opts for the calming approach. As fly-half Matt Giteau said: 'No, we didn't get yelled at. He [Deans] was actually very composed. Then again, everyone knew where we were at'."

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