Wallabies’ worst nightmare comes true after Rugby World Cup hammering by Wales
Australia has failed to make it past the pool phase of the Rugby World Cup for the first time, plunging the struggling code into a crisis that it may never recover from.
Australia’s worst nightmare has come true.
Needing to defeat Wales to have any chance of scraping into the World Cup quarter-finals, the Wallabies were humiliated 40-6 in Lyon in the early hours of Monday morning.
Forget the fact the Wallabies have a minor mathematical chance of getting through if Fiji slip in their remaining games against Portugal and Georgia, because it is all over.
For the first time in the history of the Rugby World Cup, the Wallabies will fail to make it past the pool phase, plunging the struggling code into a crisis that it may never recover from.
The record books will also show this was an unprecedented embarrassment.
In the 56 World Cup matches the Wallabies have played, dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1987, this was Australia’s heaviest-ever defeat, eclipsing the 40-16 thumping by England in the 2019 quarter-finals.
A lot of the blame — and rightly so — will be directed at head coach Eddie Jones, though he is not the only culprit because this was a collective stuff-up on an industrial scale.
Jones inherited a failing team from a sporting organisation that has become a laughing stock.
But instead of making things better, as he promised he would, he made them worse. Much worse.
In a high-pressure match the Aussies needed to win, the inept performance of the Wallabies was a shameful fall from grace for the once proud gold jersey that has twice lifted the Webb Ellis Cup.
The Wallabies looked and played like a team that had just been thrown together with no real game plan.
Which isn’t actually far from the truth - because Jones has been chopping and changing his line-up every week that the players look like they just met on a Tinder date.,
That is entirely the fault of Jones because the buck stops with him.
If the reports are proven true that he held secret talks with the Japanese about jumping ship, then Rugby Australia should cut him loose straight away with his cards marked ‘never to return.’
Asking the Australian players and public to put all their faith in him when he’s already plotting his next move is unforgivable.
Jones’s overall record as an international coach is phenomenal but he lost his Midas touch years ago and hasn’t a clue how to get it back.
That’s why England sacked him last year and why Rugby Australia needs to send him packing right now.
His insistence that Rugby Australia needs a complete overhaul and a fresh start is right - but he just isn’t the man for the job.
RA will cop plenty of flak for hiring him but they had to do something after the Wallabies showed no signs of improving under Dave Rennie. Nice bloke that he was, the Kiwi’s 38 per cent winning strike rate after three years in charge was simply not good enough.
RA has been to hell and back in the past few years but the fallout from this disastrous World Cup campaign will be as brutal as anything they have endured so heads will have to roll.
Already on its knees, RA has one last chance to fix things when Australia hosts the British and Irish Lions in 2025 then the men’s World Cup in 2027 and the women’s World Cup in 2029.
But to do that, they need the Wallabies to start winning again, which means finding a way for the best players to remain in the game whether there are more appealing options out there.
The signs were ominous that all was not well even before the kick off when Jones cut a forlorn figure during the warm-up, standing mostly by himself in the centre of the field as his players went through their drills.
Things got even worse when the match started
The Wallabies gave away their penalty at the breakdown — after just 14 seconds — then Gareth Davies scored under the posts in just the third minute from a simple inside pass.
The Wallabies put the Welsh under a sustained period of attack but were unable to get across the line so Ben Donaldson banged over a penalty from in front of the sticks to open Australia’s account.
Donaldson kicked a second penalty to cut the margin to a solitary point after the Welsh collapsed the scrum but that was the last points they scored.
Even when Wales lost their star goalkicker Dan Biggar after just 12 minutes with an injury, Australia couldn’t capitalise.
Biggar’s replacement Gareth Anscombe missed his first penalty attempt from in front but regained his composure to land six penalties, a conversion and a drop goal to rub salt into Australia’s gaping wounds.
FULL-TIME: WALES BEAT WALLABIES 40-6
The Rugby World Cup is over for Eddie Jones and the Wallabies and it’s an embarrassing exit, completely outplayed by Wales in a 34-point hammering.
The warning signs were there after Wales took just two minutes to bust the Wallabies defence open and score through halfback Gareth Davies.
The Wallabies showed brief signs of a fightback, but Wales quickly regained the ascendancy and completely outplayed Australia for the remainder of the match.
Not even an early injury to flyhalf Dan Biggar could slow the Welsh — his replacement Gareth Anscombe came on and kicked the Wallabies to death with five penalties and a drop goal.
The record loss means Australia’s Rugby World Cup is over before the knockout stages for the first time.
60 MINS: WALES 32-6
There’s 20 minutes left for the Wallabies to save their World Cup but that doesn’t look like happening, as Gareth Anscombe puts Wales further in front with another couple of penalties.
The Welsh have been absolutely dominant since the second half kicked off, and they look ready to grind out a victory that will send Eddie Jones’ men packing.
50 MINS: WALES 26-6
The Wallabies needed something out of the box - now they need a miracle after Wales go
It’s a nightmare start out of half-time for Australia, as first they give away a penalty off the kick-off which is converted by Gareth Anscombe.
Minutes later Anscombe turns provider with a brilliant chip kick over the top that centre Nick Tompkins races on to and dots down next to the posts.
Anscombe converts to put Wales’ lead out to 20 points - there’s less than half an hour to go now.
HALF-TIME: WALES LEAD WALLABIES 16-6
The Wallabies are 40 minutes away from a shock early World Cup exit as they trail Wales 16-6 at half-time in Lyon - and it could have been worse.
The Welsh took just two minutes to slice Australia’s defence open, scrumhalf Gareth Davies finishing off a lovely set-piece move from a lineout to score the opening - and only - try of the match.
The Wallabies recovered quickly and reduced the deficit to just one point through a couple of Ben Donaldson penalties, but Gareth Anscombe — on at fly half for Wales following an injury to Dan Biggar — replied in kind, and then added another to extend his side’s lead.
The Wallabies could have been closer on the scoreboard but opted against taking a penalty shot at goal with three easy points simply on offer, and their bid for a try failed.
The Wallabies have had plenty of possession and have looked close to breaking Wales open on a couple of occasions but have just not been able to make them pay.
And right on half-time Australia survives an almighty scare, managing to just hold up winger Louis Rees-Zammit over the line as the Welsh attacked off the back of a scrum on halfway. That was close, and could have just about been curtains for the Wallabies.
25 MINS: WALES 10-6
Back-to-back Ben Donaldson reduced the deficit to just one point but Wales edge further ahead through the boot of Gareth Anscombe. Anscombe is on the field for starting flyhalf Dan Biggar, who earlier succumbed to a shoulder injury.
12 MINS: WALES 7-3
The Wallabies have their first points and it’s thanks to the boot of Ben Donaldson, who nails a penalty from right in front after Wales were penalised for off-side. It’s been a good response from Eddie Jones’ men after going behind so early, Angus Bell almost charges over for his first Test try after some nice build-up play. And there’s big drama for Wales, with flyhalf Dan Biggar needing treatment on a shoulder injury. He doesn’t look comfortable — and after trying to play on for a couple of minutes, he eventually makes way.
4 MINS: WALES 7-0
No time for pleasantries! The match is barely two minutes old and Wales has cut the Wallabies open to score the opening try of the match.
Halfback Gareth Davies slices over after a brilliant play from the back of the lineout, Nick Tompkins opening up the Wallabies midfield and putting Jac Morgan into space before the No.9 does the rest. Danger signs for Australia early.
JONES SPECULATION OVERSHADOWS DO-OR-DIE WALLABIES CLASH
The build-up to this morning’s crucial World Cup clash between the Wallabies and Wales has been completely overshadowed by more speculation around the future of Eddie Jones.
There’s a full house in Lyon for the match, which the Wallabies have to win to stay in contention for the playoffs, but that’s not what everyone is talking about.
No stranger to controversy, Jones is at the centre of another massive storm following reports he was interviewed for the job of Japanese national coach.
It’s no secret Jones is wanted by Japan and has been offered a role but the suggestion he spoke to another federation at the same time he was coaching the Wallabies at the World Cup has set off a firestorm.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh to Australian journalists before the match, saying Jones had told him the reports were not true.
“I take people for their word and that’s what I’ve been told,” Waugh said.
“I’m certainly not going to get into the game of speculating who’s having conversations with who.
“There’s always speculation around what different coaches, different players are doing.
“Eddie’s been fully committed to this campaign since he came to Australia, about nine, ten months ago. It’s surprising (to hear) but you take people for their word and you trust that they’re telling you the truth.”
Waugh said he had not spoken with the Japanese about whether they had interviewed Jones about coaching the Brave Blossoms and would not speculate on what might happen if it turned out Jones had spoken to them.
“I haven’t spoken to Japan yet, but I don’t think it’s sort of my space to go over and ask other governing bodies who they’re talking to and what they’re up to.
“I’m taking Eddie for what he said and in fact he’s denied it and we move forward and keep pushing on.
“He said he hasn’t and if he has, then that’s something will that will do to it at the time that becomes evident.”
Waugh also said RA remained committed to keeping Jones for his full five year deal and believe his vision to rebuild the game from the bottom up.
“We’re committed to Eddie. We’ve seen what he’s done historically with international teams and like England with 73%, he’s coached to World Cup finals and been arguably one of the most successful international coaches for a long period of time.” Waugh said.
“We were excited to have Eddie nine months ago and we still believe in what he’ll drive through culture and team performance.
For RA, the timing could not be worse.
The game in Australia is struggling on and off the field and RA hoped that Jones - who was only reappointed in January could be the saviour.
“There’s speculation he’s already had one interview, there’s speculation he has another interview. I’ll be asking Eddie and Eddie at the moment has told me that he hasn’t,” Waugh said.
“I think everyone ...wants to believe Rugby Australia and wants to trust Rugby Australia and so it’s really important for us from an integrity point of view to live by those values and those behaviours.
“I’m a firm believer in taking people at their word and I think that it would be disappointing and I think everyone would think it would be disappointing.”
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