5. Wales vs Australia – Pool C
Sunday September 24th, 20:00 KO, Lyon
Eddie Jones’ Australia have an true ‘do or die’ contest to round off the action on Sunday, as they take on Wales in Lyon. After the Fijian heroics handed the Wallabies a 22-15 defeat in Saint-Etinne, Australia must win against Wales if they want to keep their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages alive. Warren Gatland’s side are two wins from two, and can all but stamp their spot in the next round if they defeat the Wallabies.
The unpredictable nature of Pool C continues, after Wales’ dramatic win over Fiji came down to the wire a fortnight ago. Gatland’s side then bounded together for an underwhelming win over Portugal, yet they did secure the bonus point with four tries scored. Australia took a losing bonus point away from last weekend’s defeat to Fiji, in what could prove to be an all-important asset if the Wallabies and Pacific Islanders finish the pool stages level on points.
Australia Head Coach Eddie Jones faced criticism on his selection choices after the defeat to Fiji, notably from Wallabies legend Michael Hooper, who has been testing out his punditry after missing out on the Rugby World Cup. “When you are a television commentator, you are always right,” Jones said.
“Maybe I need to become a television commentator then I’ll be right all the time. Look, we’ve gone with a young team, I’ve got no regrets at all. We are building a team for the future and we are going to go through some pain.” This match will surly generate some fireworks, with current momentum swaying towards a third Welsh win in, to close out the weekend with high-scoring action from Pool C.
RUCK’s Prediction: Wales 29 – 21 Australia