Wallabies crash out of Rugby World Cup in awful display

The Wallabies were handed a brutal 40-6 defeat by Wales, almost certainly ending their hopes of Rugby World Cup glory in Lyon on Monday morning AEST.

The match, which took place at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, turned out to be Wales’ largest Test win over the Australians, overshadowing their previous 28-3 record set in 1975.

The Wallabies were right in contention prior to the game, with bookmakers pricing both teams at $1.90 to win, after the Aussies opened the betting a warm favourite.

The game kicked off with 20 minutes of competitive rugby, but things took a dark turn for Eddie Jones’ team as they failed to score a single point in the second half, marking their worst defeat in World Cup history.

“Don’t have much to say really,” said a clearly gutted Wallabies captain Dave Porecki.

“Just embarrassed … it wasn’t good enough tonight. This one hurts. I’m just gutted at the moment.”

Though the Wallabies showed some promise in the first half, they were outmatched and outplayed in the second, struggling particularly in the scrum and lineout.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones took the fall for the loss, stating, “I apologise to the supporters. I take full responsibility for it. My coaching hasn’t been good enough.”

Despite the bleak outcome, Jones also signalled hope for the future, despite being linked to a shock switch to Japan after reportedly interviewing for their top job just before the World Cup.

“Australia has always been a trough and crest situation. We’re in a bad period now but we have to fight our way out of it.”

The loss severely dents Australia’s chances of making it to the knockout stage, placing their fate in the hands of other matches. The Wallabies now depend on unlikely losses by Fiji against either Georgia or Portugal to stay in the tournament.

The match began inauspiciously for the Wallabies when Welsh captain Jac Morgan set up Gareth Davies for a try within three minutes. Though Australia responded with two penalty kicks, they squandered other opportunities, including a critical lineout.

Wales didn’t let up in the second half. With precision kicks and aggressive plays, they added to their lead, leaving the Wallabies and their fans in utter despair. Gareth Anscombe’s drop goal in the 70th minute was the final blow, followed by a last-minute try from Morgan that sealed Australia’s grim fate.

This stunning defeat leaves Australia grappling with its worst World Cup performance to date, casting a long shadow over the future of rugby union down under.

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