Mike Hercus spots a gap. (Getty Images)

By Gareth Duggan, PA Sport, Wollongong

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France's second string produced an excellent first-half performance to beat the United States in their final World Cup pool match in Wollongong and go into the quarter-finals with a 100% record.

Three tries by centre Brian Liebenberg and touchdowns for Yannick Bru and Jean-Baptiste Poux carried Les Bleus to victory, although their effort waned after the break.

The United States lifted their game and thoroughly deserved to all but match the French in the second half.

The French pack created the substance of the victory in the first 40 minutes as they consistently outdid the Americans at every scrum and even took three against the head.

One of those tightheads produced the second try of the match as the Eagles' bigger pack were shoved backwards in the 18th minute and the French backs moved the ball wide to the left for Liebenberg to dive over.

It was the big Stade Francais centre's second touchdown of the game, his first coming when full-back Clement Poitrenaud sliced through the American backline to set up a superb attacking opportunity.

Quick ball enabled Liebenberg to go through and score on his World Cup debut.

The third try of the half underlined the French dominance, as Les Bleus set up a driving maul and Poux was powered over.

With Gerald Merceron kicking three penalties and a conversion the French were well on top as they turned into the wind.

America were also hit hard by the departure of outstanding number eight Dan Lyle, who left the field just before the half hour with concussion suffered when collected a knee in the head from his own centre, Paul Eloff.

But the Eagles showed that they had some sparkle with two well-worked tries at the start of the first half, bracketing Liebenberg's hat-trick try.

First Kort Schubert went over off a smart pass from Mike Hercus before Yannick Bru struck back within a few minutes, then Hercus threw a sharp dummy close to the line for his own try.

It was generally a far more committed and effective performance by the Eagles after the break, although the following wind was not the key factor.

Their defensive patterns provided a greater obstacle to the attacking movements of the French and the forwards lifted themselves to take on their opponents far more consistently.

France also began to throw passes and try attacks which were not realistic and the USA inevitably picked up more possession as a result.

USA coach Tom Billups will be wondering why his side only began to really play after the break, although they were helped by a diminished French effort.

Flanker Sebastien Chabal's match ended earlier than he would have hoped when he was yellow carded for repeated infringements at the ruck - the only real moment of controversy in a clean match.

A drop-goal by Dmitri Yachvili in the 62nd minute proved to be the last scoring action of a game France won in the first half, while America earned genuine parity in the second.

The result means France now await the loser of Saturday's clash between Australia and Ireland in a quarter-final in Melbourne on November 9.

Teams

France: Poitrenaud, Elhorga, Liebenberg, Traille, Bory, Merceron, Yachvili, Milloud, Bru, Poux, Auradou, Brouzet, Chabal, Tabacco, Labit.

Replacements: Marconnet for Poux (41).

Not Used: Ibanez, Thion, Magne, Michalak, Jauzion, Rougerie.

Tries: Liebenberg 3, Poux, Bru.

Cons: Merceron 2.

Pens: Merceron 3.

Drop Goals: Yachvili.

Sin Bin: Chabal (76).

USA: Buchholz, Fee, Eloff, Sika, van Zyl, Hercus, Dalzell, MacDonald, Khasigian, Dorsey, Parker, Gross, Schubert, Hodges, Lyle.

Replacements: Sherman for Buchholz (44), Keyter for Sika (68), Timoteo for Dalzell (22), Wyatt for Khasigian (72), Waasdorp for Dorsey (62), Gouws for Lyle (27).

Not Used: Klerck.

Tries: Schubert, Hercus.

Cons: Hercus 2.

Att: 17,833

Ref: Paul Honiss (New Zealand).