Time to sign off now, so I’ll leave you with Andy Bull’s match report from Fukuoka.
There’s another match coming up, and it’s a decent bet for the pool stage’s biggest blowout. Join Simon Burnton for New Zealand v Canada:
We’ll all look back and laugh when France end up in the final.
Updated
FT: France 33-9 USA
Lopez adds the conversion, and France have won by 24 points, despite playing like a drain for a good hour.
TRY! France 31-9 USA (Poirot)
A rolling maul gets the jump on a tired US pack, and Jefferson Poirot cracks the case, finding the gap and diving over the line.
Updated
78 mins: France 26-9 USA Will Magie replaces MacGinty, who is a contender for man of the match. There aren’t too many out there, in fairness.
77 mins: France 26-9 USA France are showing little interest in getting forward now the bonus point is safe. They’ve had two gears today: third and reverse.
76 mins: France 26-9 USA Olive Kilifi and Thretton Palamo - a couple of magnificent names - off the bench for the USA. For France, Romain Ntamack replaces Guitoune.
74 mins: France 26-9 USA Replamcent Greg Peterson breaks through a couple of tackles as the US keep threatening. It’s been a rough seven minutes since MacGinty brought them within three points.
TRY! France 26-9 USA (Serin)
France turn the ball over quickly, and Lopez picks out Raka with a crossfield pass. The wing is hit with a high tackle, but dusts himself off and keeps going. The ball is worked to Baptiste Serin, who bursts through the defence and trundles in under the posts. Lopez converts, and France have their bonus point!
Updated
69 mins: France 19-9 USA France need one more score to lock down a bonus point. Lopez took that kick quickly, and they’re on the charge again from the kick-off ...
TRY! France 19-9 USA (Fickou)
France have bodies on the overlap, but don’t need too many of them, with Gael Fickou crashing over close to the posts. Lopez adds the conversion, and France may have just got out of jail!
Updated
66 mins: France 12-9 USA France urgently step on the gas, working through the phases, keeping their concentration with Alldritt at the heart of things ...
65 mins: France 12-9 USA Well, well. Is the Fukuoka Fairytale really on here? More French changes, with Gregory Alldritt and Baptiste Serin coming on.
France 12-9 USA (MacGinty pen)
After a quick consultation, MacGinty decides to kick for goal. It’s 30m out, left of the posts but eminently kickable. And he nails it! The gap is down to three points!
61 mins: France 12-6 USA De Haas collects Lopez’s kick in midfield, before MacGinty pounces on a Raka handling error, his kick through forcing a penalty ...
60 mins: France 12-6 USA Twenty minutes to go. Since Yoann Huget’s converted try five minutes in, France have been outscored 6-5.
58 mins: France 12-6 USA Changes: Medard and Vahaamahina are on for France, Paul Mullen and Ben Pinkelman for the USA.
56 mins: France 12-6 USA After reeling in that pass, Raka exchanged words with an American player - Scully, I think - and raised a hand to his face. A bit daft, and a sign of growing French frustration.
54 mins: France 12-6 USA The USA turn over again, Mike Teo stealing in. They push forward, MacGinty chipping towards the corner, where Raka collects under moderate pressure.
52 mins: France 12-6 USA When France move through the gears like that, you wonder what on earth they’re playing at the rest of the time. For the USA, Ruben De Haas replaces Shaun Davies.
50 mins: France 12-6 USA France really should have scored here. Sofiane Guitoune relocates the USA’s soft centre and swings a high pass towards Raka - but it swirls in the wind and drifts forward!
48 mins: France 12-6 USA MacGinty makes a rare error of judgement, trying an optimistic kick with better options available. Lopez fields it comfortably.
47 mins: France 12-6 USA A nice passage of flowing rugby from both sides, with Fickou threatening to break away down the right and Scully retaliating, only to be denied by an unfortunate knock-on off Mike Teo.
45 mins: France 12-6 USA Another front-row change for France, with Cyril Baille making way for Jefferson Poirot. Can he solve France’s problems?
44 mins: France 12-6 USA France come again, Setiano crashing through challenges before Picamoles is penalised again. That one may have been a little harsh, but the USA survive again.
42 mins: France 12-6 USA The French pack start rolling ominously towards the try line - but the USA turn it over, the excellent Taufetee doing the damage. MacGinty just about gets it clear ...
Updated
We're back
The second half is under way. For France, Guilhem Guirado is off the bench, replacing Camille Chat. Presumably, he’ll also resume captaincy duties.
@niallmcveigh oh no, France are getting their godawful performance out of their system before they play England. This is not good
— (((AndyinBrum))) (@AndyinBrum) October 2, 2019
Half-time thoughts: Holy hell, these ads are loud.
Half-time reading:
Half time! France 12-6 USA
From a US scrum, MacGinty jinks forward, but is stripped of the ball. The gong sounds for half time and France swiftly hoof it out. They lead, but it’s been far from comfortable.
39 mins: France 12-6 USA Another French attack runs out of steam, with the USA forcing a penalty - the eighth committed by France in this half.
37 mins: France 12-6 USA With the setting sun twinkling through the stand, France try to build forward momentum - but the ball is turned over. The USA are turning this into a bit of a scrap, which will be to their advantage.
35 mins: France 12-6 USA The underdogs are on top in terms of possession and territory so far - if not on the scoreboard.
Updated
33 mins: France 12-6 USA Picamoles was penalised again there - different offence, and a while since his first warning, so no yellow card. The USA might feel a little aggrieved.
France 12-6 USA (MacGinty pen)
Picamoles penalised, MacGinty tries to kick through from the advantage, but can’t find a teammate. The fly-half settles for the three points.
Updated
30 mins: France 12-3 USA They win the scrum and pour forward, Iosefo again leading the charge. The forwards get involved, and the wall of white edges to within five metres ...
28 mins: France 12-3 USA Lopez, who has delivered two clinical kicks to give France some breathing space, is held up by Iosefo and Campbell, and eventually penalised. The USA will have a scrum in French territory ...
TRY! France 12-3 USA (Raka)
Picamoles carves out space for Lopez, who delivers an inch-perfect diagonal kick out to the right flank. Alivereti Raka cruises down the touchline, takes it cleanly and scores. They made that look easy; it wasn’t. Ramos can’t add the conversion from a narrow angle.
Updated
23 mins: France 7-3 USA France haven’t had it all their own way, but they’re looking to test their opponents’ defence again here. It’s painstaking progress, but they creep into the US 22 ...
22 mins: France 7-3 USA Another stop-start scrum offers plenty of fun for the casual rugby fan.
France 7-3 USA (MacGinty pen)
Two French players are required to stop Taufetee, but France are penalised for offside. MacGinty takes the chance to get the underdogs on the board, tucking away the kick.
Updated
18 mins: Fry and co get some joy at the scrum, France penalised for collapsing the scrum, and MacGinty kicks towards the corner. The USA stay on the front foot, hooker Joe Taufetee powering to within 10 metres ...
17 mins: A midfield scrum, and an opportunity to inform you that US prop Eric Fry plays his club rugby in France for Vannes - where he’s even learnt a little Breton.
16 mins: That ball already looks mighty slippery, with US skipper Blaine Scully the latest to feel it squirming from his grasp.
Updated
14 mins: France 7-0 USA The US have threatened, but still look shaky in defence. A routine kick through finds a large hole that three or four blue shirts pour through, but nobody can get hands on the ball, Picamoles knocking on, much to his frustration.
11 mins: France 7-0 USA France concede a penalty, and from a lineout, USA drive for the line. Picamoles is penalised for collapsing the maul - the referee thought about a yellow card, but settled for a warning. France are penned back, but turn it over and Machenaud clears.
9 mins: France 7-0 USA The American fans in the stands were left deflated by that score, but their team are fighting back, sevens star Iosefo again breaking down the left wing ...
TRY! France 7-0 USA (Huget)
They break forward at pace, Ramos kickstarting a flowing move with a sidestep before Lopez kicks through and Yoann Huget shows great hands to collect and cross over. A fine start for France, with Ramos adding the conversion.
Updated
5 mins: After a lengthy scrum tussle, Iosefo tries a chip and charge down the touchline, but France collect and come again ...
2 mins: France almost make an immediate impact, Lopez breaking a tackle and offloading to Fickou, who is denied by Marcel Brache. AJ MacGinty kicks clear tidily under pressure.
Allez, allez, allez
Here we go, then. Plenty of chat in the ITV studio that we could perhaps see an upset here. Seems like a stretch, but let’s find out.
There’s a moment of silence to honour Jacques Chirac, the former president of France who died last week. Then it’s time for the anthems.
Updated
The players are heading onto the field in Fukuoka. Part of the turf has been relaid here after cutting up badly during Italy’s win over Canada here. Throw in blustery, wet weather and you’ve got yourself some testing conditions.
For the USA, Will Hooley is absent after taking two big hits against England, and being stretchered off. In his guest column, Hooley is remarkably sanguine about the whole business, and looks forward to returning later in the tournament:
France suffered an embarrassing moment in the buildup to this game, after calling Uini Antonio into the squad. Soon after announcing the La Rochelle prop’s inclusion, they had to backtrack after discovering he had been injured in a match on Saturday, and was out for three months. Zut alors!
The teams
France: Ramos, Raka, Guitoune, Fickou, Huget, Lopez, Machenaud; Baille, Chat, Setiano, Le Roux, Gabrillagues, Iturria, Camara, Picamoles (c).
Replacements: Guirado, Poirot, Slimani, Vahaamahina, Alldritt, Serin, Ntamack, Medard.
USA: Teo, Scully (c), Brache, Campbell, Iosefo, MacGinty, Davies; Fry, Taufetee, Lamositele, Brakeley, Civetta, Lamborn, Germishuys, Dolan.
Replacements: Fawsitt, Kilifi, Mullen, Peterson, Pinkelman, De Haas, Magie, Palamo.
Updated
Preamble
It’s been 11 days since France played their opening fixture of this World Cup – a narrow, thrilling and somewhat fortunate win over Argentina that was largely forgotten as the tournament hit warp speed.
Since then, Jacques Brunel’s boys have kept their heads down at training camp and let the drama unfold elsewhere. France are seventh in the world rankings; three of the six teams above them have already lost once. They’ll be happy to keep flying under the radar, as they’ve done to great effect before.
First, though, a date with the USA, who were outmatched by England but will happily offer their opponents a bruising workout. On paper, it’s a chance for Brunel to check his squad depth with tougher assignments to come. Watching from afar, he will have noted that nothing can be taken for granted in this tournament.
Kick-off: 4.45pm local, 9.45am Paris, 8.45am BST, 3.45am New York.
