2023-09-30 13:36:45
The Wallabies play their probable last match of the competition this Sunday against the Portuguese (5:45 p.m.).
Australia, giant of world rugby, whose elimination in the group stage of the World Cup hangs by a thread, faces surprising Portuguese on Sunday (5:45 p.m.) in Saint-Étienne, with the sole objective of getting back on track. its coat of arms, before a deep introspection on its future. The match against the Lobos (the Wolves) could even have no stakes, if on Saturday Fiji beat Georgia with the offensive bonus point. The Wallabies would then be eliminated without playing, bringing forward by a few days a scenario which seems inevitable in any case.
Mathematically, there remains a tiny chance for the Wallabies, double world champions in 1991 and 1999, to reach the quarter-finals: for that to happen they would need to obtain an improved victory against Portugal and at the same time, the Fiji take less than five points in the two matches they have left to play against Georgia and Portugal.
It’s incredible to hear everyone asking us if we can win.
Patrice Lagisquet
But given the performances delivered by the young Wallabies against Fiji (first defeat in 69 years, 22-15) and Wales (historic defeat 40-6), we even begin to wonder if the Portuguese would have not a shot to play against dull Australia, who made the Welsh, certainly reworked, doubt for a half (28-8) and drew with Georgia (18-18). “It’s incredible to hear everyone asking us if we can winwas surprised by Patrice Lagisquet, the French coach of Portugal. But don’t forget that we are the 16th nation in the world and that we are going to face a team accustomed to the high level, with very good players and a very good coach.».
The coach, Eddie Jones, has been at the center of all attention since the start of the World Cup for his obvious choice of only bringing to France young players with little experience at the highest level and leaving the most experienced Wallabies in the country, his captain Michael Hooper in the lead. He has been at the heart of a growing controversy since the Australian press sent him to coach Japan after the World Cup, thus sitting on his contract with the Australian Federation which runs until 2027. Tirelessly, imperturbably, Jones tempestuous refused to respond to these “rumors“, contenting himself with a pithy “only the match against Portugal matters to me at the moment».
We don’t have good results, I know that. But they are good players and I took the best in each position.
Eddie Jones
To his credit, Jones also went through the World Cup shouldering all the criticism leveled at his team on his own shoulders, systematically protecting his chosen group in public. “But they are the best team in Australiahe justified himself. We don’t have good results, I know that. But they are good players and I took the best in each position. For me, this is the ideal opportunity to learn (…) And it is normal to protect them. They are young. When your child is three or four years old, you protect him no matter what. When he reaches eight, nine, ten or eleven years old, you guide him differently».
His young people promised themselves a burst of pride on Sunday. “We especially think of the families, the supporters who follow us here, the people who are close to the group and others. Yes, we must win with style to give the people who love us a reason to be proud“. It will then be time for young Australians to do some deep soul-searching, with or without Jones. It’s urgent. The next World Cup takes place in four years… in Australia.
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