The Wallabies have been ripped a brand new one by their native media shops following their upset loss to Fiji in Pool C of the Rugby World Cup.
The Flying Fijians ran out 22-15 victors over Eddie Jones Wallabies in St-Etienne, their first win over the Aussies in practically 70 years of Test rugby.
The Wallabies have the youngest squad on the World Cup, with Jones overlooking the likes of long-time captain Michael Hooper and veteran playmakers Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley.
Their recreation plan fell aside with out injured heavy-hitters, lock and skipper Will Skelton and prop Taniela Tupou with a telling 18-7 penalty rely because the workforce struggled on the breakdown.
Christy Doran writing in his player ratings in The Roar, said: “The Wallabies’ worst fears have been realised. Eddie Jones’ men must beat Wales in Lyon next weekend or risk becoming the first Australian side to miss the quarter-finals…”
“Without Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou, Jones’ men were smashed in the contact zone by the Fijians and were consequently annihilated at the breakdown, leading to the Wallabies giving away 18 penalties.”
Peter FitzSimons conceded that the win was an important consequence for the World Cup in The Sydney Morning Herald.
“As devastating as it’s for the Wallabies, it’s a nice consequence for world rugby and this World Cup. The Fijian victory over England a month in the past was no fluke. They are an important and fantastically coached facet who’ve now, formally, arrived on the world stage. Let the phrase go forth: Rugby World Cups are now not a matter of the Six Nations sides, plus South Africa, New Zealand and Australia – with the remaining making up the numbers. On their day, you are feeling just like the Fijians might beat nearly any facet.
“Where to from right here for the Wallabies? All isn’t misplaced, simply shut. It will all come down to beating Wales subsequent week in Lyon so properly that the Welsh don’t get bonus factors. A superb Welsh thumping will see the Wallabies get by means of the group stage intact. Hopefully, Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou can be again for that match, however I agree with Hoiles – proper now the workforce is crying out for extra expertise. We are the youngest workforce in your complete World Cup and, whereas the hope was that will give us a lot youthful power and the opposite groups wouldn’t have the ability to cope, it ain’t working. Nothing is working.”
Julian Linden didn’t spare them in The Australian: “The Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup marketing campaign is already on life help after a humiliating 22-15 loss to Fiji early on Monday morning. The Wallabies have suffered some embarrassing defeats over time however few as painful and gut-wrenching because the nightmare that unfolded in St Etienne.
“Take nothing away from the Pacific Islanders, they totally deserved their historic win, however the Australians solely have themselves to blame for his or her first loss to Fiji since 1954- earlier than contraception drugs and industrial jetliners have been authorized. Eddie Jones has talked a giant recreation since he was reappointed as head coach firstly of 2023 however when the stress was utilized his Wallabies folded in a heap.
“Now the board of Rugby Australia — which sacked Dave Rennie and appointed Jones because the workforce’s saviour — has some explaining to do as a result of this was an unmitigated catastrophe that the struggling code could by no means get better from. The Wallabies are actually dealing with the mortifying prospect of failing to make it out of the group stage for the primary time ever at a World Cup.”
The British press weren’t a lot gentler. Ben Coles, writing in The Telegraph, stated Fiji have been “comprehensively the higher facet, an indication not solely of their outstanding development in a brief house of time this 12 months beneath Simon Raiwalui but additionally how far the Wallabies have dramatically fallen.
“The most stunning factor in regards to the recreation was how regular all of it felt.”
extra reporting AAP