RPT-INSIGHT-How France sank Japan's $40 bln Australian submarine dream

TOKYO/PARIS/SYDNEY, April 29 (Reuters) - In 2014, a blossoming friendship between Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe looked to have all but sewn up a $40 billion submarine deal. Then French naval contractor DCNS hatched a bold and seemingly hopeless plan to gatecrash the party.