It will take a miracle from now on for the Wallabies, largely dominated (40-6) on Sunday by Wales, to reach the quarter-finals. They suffered the heaviest defeat in their World Cup history.
Australia is indeed upside down. And this is not the effect of Earth’s gravity. Defeated by Wales (6-40), Sunday September 24 in Lyon, the double world champions (1991 and 1999) are only one step away from elimination in the group stage of the World Cup, a case an unprecedented and nightmarish figure for this immense nation of world rugby. On the other hand, the Welsh are the first to validate their ticket for the quarter-finals.
To hope to qualify for the quarters, the Wallabies must now pray for a misstep from the Fijians against Portugal or Georgia. You might as well hope to win the lottery. And it is indeed an infamous elimination that awaits the Australians, who had always made it through the first round during the nine previous editions. And the worst part is that it’s not even really a surprise.
Confidence in tatters
The decisive match against Wales only confirmed what we already knew. This Australian team lacks cohesion, talent and above all confidence. It took, once again, a few seconds to realize it: feverish from the start of the match, poorly positioned, Eddie Jones’ men were pierced on the first Welsh incursion, concluded by Gareth Davies (7 -0, 3rd). Picked cold, they tried to react, and they even managed to make people believe in the beginning of a mutiny by putting their hands on the ball for ten minutes. Time to pick up the score (7-6). But it was already a swan song.
The agony of the injured beast will have continued throughout the second half. Euphoric but diligent, the Welsh passed a scathing 24-0 to Richie Arnold’s partners, overwhelmed by the mastery of the Dragons. Broken in the commitment, Australia had little to oppose anyway. And when, by some miracle, she appeared threatening, she ended up playing backwards like on this penalty in the 25th minute. While she had the means to go ahead in the score, she chose to take a penalty which immediately turned into a loose ball in the lineout and a Welsh kick which ended within the Wallabies’ 22 meters. Symptomatic.
Talent at half mast
Already apathetic against Fiji, a team against whom it had not lost since 1954 and which nevertheless dominated it regularly eight days ago, Australia continues to sink into the doldrums. Last in the 2023 Rugby Championship with no victory on the clock, she has bet a lot (too much?) on the return of the prodigal son, Eddie Jones, to the coach’s bench. The former England XV coach suffered a seventh setback in eight games since taking office and, like his predecessors, lost his teeth in the face of such a generational low.
The blessed times when David Campese delighted the crowds and John Eales reigned in the air seem so far away. And the return to the famous orange and green outfit from that distant era has changed nothing. Closer to home, pure talents like Quade Cooper, Will Genia or David Pocock have not been replaced. Almost eliminated from the competition, Australia, which will host the next edition at home, has four years to build a future on the ruins of this campaign which promises to be the most disastrous for Australian rugby in the history of the Cup. of the world.