"Three weeks ago, Australia arrived in Europe self-assured and quietly confident of taking a few prized scalps. And why not? They had come within a single refereeing call at the breakdown of claiming a British & Irish Lions series win. They had hammered the world champion Springboks in Johannesburg. They had shown great chutzpah to beat Argentina after the hooter and they still carried the glow of last November's win over England."
"This was a side developing shape and steel, a side capable of the sublime, a side beginning to coax long-dormant fans back to the code while tempting home several stars who had crossed to rugby league. This tour was supposed to confirm, unequivocally, that the Wallabies were back. Instead, they've gone backwards after a sorry performance against Ireland in Dublin where they received a 4619 shellacking that still managed to flatter them on the scoreboard."
"This result also confirms their status as a B-tier rugby team. No matter what happens against France in Paris next week, they will leave Europe ranked outside the top six on World Rugby's charts, consigning them to the second pot when the 2027 World Cup draw takes place next month. The implications are stark: if they want to reach the latter stages of their own tournament on home soil, they will have to knock over one of the giants,"
Australia arrived in Europe on a wave of confidence after near success against the British & Irish Lions and notable wins over the Springboks, Argentina and England. The Wallabies had shown developing cohesion, attacking flair and the capacity to attract former league stars back to the code. A 46-19 defeat by Ireland in Dublin exposed recurring tactical and defensive weaknesses, with Ireland exploiting contestable kicks, structured phase play and tempo changes. The loss relegates Australia to outside the world top six, consigns them to the second pot for the 2027 World Cup draw and complicates chances of home success.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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