Rugby Australia threw its support behind embattled Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, saying it had “absolute confidence” in the New Zealander despite leading the team to a record 10 defeats in a calendar year.
Wallabies create unwanted history in loss to France despite star’s ‘mindblowing’ try
For the first time ever, the Wallabies have lost ten Test matches in a calander year after a 48-33 defeat at the hands of France in the final game of their four-match European Tour.
Wallabies on verge of disastrous 67-year first after Ireland rout as Aussie-born fullback shines
The Wallabies are staring down the barrel of a 0-4 European tour whitewash after being thrashed by Ireland 46-19 in Dublin.
The Wallabies were meant to prove they’re back. But instead they have gone backwards
The 46-19 shellacking against Ireland is a stark reminder of how far behind the best teams Australia still sit
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 46–19 shellacking that still managed to flatter them on the scoreboard.
Continue reading...Sloppy All Blacks stunned as star inspires rousing England comeback in historic boilover
George Ford inspired an England revival as they came from 12 points behind to beat New Zealand 33-19 at Twickenham on Saturday for just their ninth win in 120 years of Tests against the All Blacks.
‘He was on holiday’: Wallabies call up O’Connor in host of changes for Ireland Test
James O’Connor has been summoned to revive Australia’s faltering Autumn Nations Series campaign, with the veteran fly-half given the task of steering the Wallabies to a much-needed win over Ireland in Dublin on Sunday (7.10am AEDT).
Is it better to be occasionally brilliant or consistently good? Ask the Wallabies | Daniel Gallan
Australia show flashes of greatness, but costly lapses challenge the idea of a revival. They need to find their rhythm
Is it better to be a consistently good team or an occasionally brilliant one? We’ll find out by the end of Australia’s European tour. But now, after a 26–19 loss to Italy in Udine – their second defeat in as many matches on this crucial trip – the answer seems obvious. Because despite the Wallabies’ flashes of brilliance throughout the Joe Schmidt era, their inability to deliver steadily could yet prove costly.
At present, the Wallabies are ranked seventh on World Rugby’s charts. If that doesn’t change, the hosts of the 2027 World Cup will be drawn alongside one of the top six teams in the group phase. Even if they progress, Australia would likely face another stiff challenge at the first knockout stage. That’s not the kind of jeopardy a rugby nation of this pedigree should be flirting with.
Continue reading...Wallabies stunned in ugly capitulation as duo that got away haunts Aussies
Italy beat Australia for the second time in their history on Saturday thanks to tries by Melbourne-born Monty Ioane and by Louis Lynagh, the son of one of the greatest Wallabies.
Louis Lynagh inspires dramatic Italy win to ramp up Australia misery
Italy 26-19 Australia
Wallaby legend Michael Lynagh’s son inspires famous win
Italy upset Australia with a come-from-behind 26-19 victory on Saturday with the son of a Wallaby great, Louis Lynagh, scoring one try and Australian-born winger Monty Ioane the other to snatch a famous win for the hosts.
Lynagh, born in Italy when his father, Michael, played for Treviso, and Melbourne-born Ioane proved Italy’s heroes as they won for only the second time in 20 tests against the Wallabies.
Continue reading...Code-hopping star’s two-year return headlines Wallabies’ changes for Italy Test
Carter Gordon will play for Australia for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being selected by Joe Schmidt for the Wallabies’ starting XV against Italy.
‘Worst I have seen them ever’: Brutal reality check for ‘woeful’ Wallabies after loss to England
Rising star Henry Pollock came off the bench to score a key try as England began their quest for an unbeaten Autumn Nations Series campaign with a 25-7 win over a lacklustre Australia at a rainswept Twickenham.
‘There’s no way’: Wallabies captain fires back at England’s ‘illegal’ breakdown tactics claim
Australia captain Harry Wilson has rejected claims the Wallabies use illegal and dangerous breakdown tactics as they prepare to face England.
Wallabies firing again in time for England clash after return to free-running DNA
Victory over hosts at Twickenham 12 months ago proved a launchpad for Australia to begin climb back from nadir
If only Henry Slade had managed to stop Ben Donaldson getting that offload away, if only Ollie Sleightholme had been able to make that wrap-up tackle on Len Ikitau, if only Marcus Smith was able to catch Max Jorgensen. But Slade didn’t, Sleightholme couldn’t, Smith wasn’t, and Jorgensen scored in the corner. This time last year the Wallabies beat England 42-37, their first victory against them at Twickenham in nine years, and it was, the players will tell you themselves, the moment when everything changed. “This game last year was a big turning point for us as a group,” says the Australia captain, Harry Wilson. “It really made us believe that on our day we can beat anybody in the world.”
Twelve months ago England weren’t worried about the Wallabies so much as they were worried for the Wallabies. The one thing an Australian team doesn’t want is pity, but that’s what they got. They had won two Tests out of nine in 2023, when they embarrassed themselves at the World Cup, and, after a few months during which he seemed to spend most of his time bowling around in a cork hat and shouting at everyone about how rubbish Australian rugby was, their head coach Eddie Jones had defected to Japan. A couple of their better players had hopped codes to play in the NRL and they had dropped to ninth in the world rankings. It was all getting a bit existential.
Continue reading...Australia’s Harry Wilson rejects claims Wallabies use illegal breakdown tactics
Borthwick has highlighted entering rucks from the side
Wilson denies Wallabies use dangerous or illegal tactics
Australia’s captain, Harry Wilson, has rejected a claim made on the eve of their clash with England that the Wallabies use illegal breakdown tactics.
The Daily Telegraph reported that England head coach, Steve Borthwick, has highlighted Australia’s alleged ploy of deliberately entering rucks from the side when he met referee Nika Amashukeli before Saturday’s Twickenham showdown. Player welfare concerns were also raised over the tourists’ approach to clear-outs.
Continue reading...England accuses Wallabies of ‘illegal’ tactics as Australia reveals eight changes for first Test
The fuse has been lit for Saturday’s first autumn Test against England after reports emerged over in the UK that the Wallabies have been accused of “illegal” breakdown tactics.