Do or die: Time for the Wallabies to step up against Wales
Week three of the 2023 Rugby World Cup will be defined by four fascinating games, and once again Australia will be the most crucial one of them when the Wallabies take on Wales in Lyon on Monday at 5am AEST. For the army of close to 30,000 Australian supporters descending upon France’s gastronomic capital, they probably weren’t expecting that the third match of a potential seven would already be, in effect, a live or die affair.
But that’s exactly what it is. The world has become very ugly for the Wallabies post the 15-22 loss to a magnificent Fiji on Monday. Eddie Jones has been the subject of an absolute pile on. Exasperated green and gold supporters have bemoaned a soulless and inept performance in Saint-Etienne against a Fijian team that just wanted it more.
Jordan Petaia, Carter Gordon, Marika Koroibete and Ben Donaldson at training ahead of the crunch Wales clash. Getty
The upshot is that the Wallabies sit third in Pool C on six points, behind Wales on 10 and Fiji who are also on six but ahead on points differential. Australia needs to beat Wales to stay in the tournament, but a bonus point win would give Jones and his men much-needed breathing space.
But that won’t be easy. Wales are fresh and on the high ground, having cleverly gambled in week two by resting 12 of their starting team after their brutal week one victory against Fiji. Wales eventually won 28-8 with a bonus point against Portugal, in a much closer game than the scoreline indicated.
Australia had no such luxury against Fiji, with 12 of the team who started against Georgia stepping up again. It will be a similar story against Wales, with Tate McDermott and Andrew Kellaway among a very small contingent coming in on fresh legs. Kellaway’s return at
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