Wales v Australia LIVE: Rugby World Cup 2023 result and reaction from record win as Wallabies face shock exit
Wales 40-6 Australia: Warren Gatland’s side enjoyed a night to remember as Eddie Jones suffered a humiliating World Cup defeat in Lyon
Wales thumped Australia to cruise into the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup with a game to spare, leaving the Wallabies and head coach Eddie Jones staring at the humiliation of a first-ever group-stage exit.
An early break from Gareth Davies set Wales on their way to a comprehensive victory and although Warren Gatland lost fly-half Dan Bigger to a concerning shoulder injury, replacement Gareth Anscombe came off the bench to contribute 23 points.
Anscombe also set up Wales’ second try with a clever chip to Nick Tompkins, as Gatland’s side continued to choose their moments in what was a clinical victory, before Jac Morgan crashed over to seal a record 40-6 scoreline for Wales in this fixture.
The result was a disaster for Australia and Jones, who desperately needed a win after their earlier defeat to Fiji in Pool C. The two-time champions are now set to record their worst-ever performance in World Cup history.
Follow all the reaction after Wales recorded their biggest-ever win against Australia to reach the quarter-finals
Wales 7-0 Australia
6 mins: A great opportunity for Australia to bounce back immediately as they win a penalty on the edge of the 22. They opt against the points and kick for the corner...
TRY! Wales 7-0 Australia (Davies, 3 mins)
3 mins: What a start from Wales as Gareth Davies goes over inside the first three minutes. From the line-out, it’s captain Jac Morgan who makes the surge through the midfield.
The flanker draws in the tackle before offloading to the scrum-half who surges under the post to give his side the perfect start.
Biggar adds the extras.
Wales 0-0 Australia
1 min: The earliest of penalties - just 15 seconds in - for Wales and a chance for some early territory for Gatland’s side.
KICK-OFF! Wales 0-0 Australia
1 min: Anthems sung, pleasantries exchanged, it’s time. It’s Australia to kick off... and we are under way in Lyon!
Wales vs Australia: kick-off moments away
Here come both sides out onto the pitch in Lyon. Difficult to overstate how important this fixture is for both sides.
But first, the anthems.
Wales vs Australia: hear from the coaches
The thoughts of the two head coaches as we close in on kick-off:
Eddie Jones faces ultimate test of his rugby philosophy as Wales await
Has Eddie Jones’s day of reckoning finally arrived? During this entire Rugby World Cup cycle, both when he was head coach of England and now Australia, Jones’s mantra has essentially been ‘trust me mate, there’s a process’ with the implicit promise that there will be jam tomorrow.
Bad results were brushed off as a necessary evil in building towards the World Cup – you wouldn’t want to win matches by revealing innovative tactics and structures that might surprise the opposition if they were unleashed in the tournament itself, seemed to be Jones’s thinking.
Consecutive sub-par Six Nations and autumn international defeats for England could be swept away in service of the greater goal of lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy in Paris next month, until the RFU belatedly ran out of patience with the losing and fired him nine months out from the World Cup.
Parachuted in to salvage the Wallabies’ cycle, five consecutive losses, including a last-placed finish in the Rugby Championship, to begin his tenure was similarly waved away by Jones alongside the promise that things would get better tomorrow. Well, tomorrow has now arrived.
One final chance to read Luke Baker’s full preview of this evening’s game:
Eddie Jones faces ultimate test of his rugby philosophy as Wales await
Old foes face off in World Cup for the first time
Despite their long and winding careers at the top of international rugby, tonight will be the first time that Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland face each other in the World Cup.
In their previous six clashes - when Jones was in charge of England - the Australian won four, with Gatland taking two.
Who will prevail on this occasion?
Wales vs Australia: team news
We’ve got around 25 minutes until kick-off, so here’s a reminder of how both sides will line up:
Wales XV: Gareth Thomas, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis; Will Rowlands, Adam Beard; Aaron Wainwright, Jac Morgan; Taulupe Faletau; Gareth Davies, Dan Biggar; Josh Adams, Nick Tompkins, George North, Louis Rees Zammit; Liam Williams.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Corey Domachowski, Henry Thomas, Dafydd Jenkins, Taine Basham, Tomos Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Rio Dyer.
Australia XV: Angus Bell, David Porecki, James Slipper; Nick Frost, Richie Arnold; Rob Leota, Tom Hooper; Rob Valetini; Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson; Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi, Jordan Petaia, Mark Nawaqanitawase; Andrew Kellaway.
Replacements: Matt Faessler, Blake Schoupp, Pone Fa’amausili, Matt Philip, Fraser McReight, Nic White, Carter Gordon, Suliasi Vunivalu.
Pool C: How it stands
It’s a must-win game for Australia. Simple as.
Following their defeat to Fiji, Eddie Jones’s side could be on the brink of elimination should they fail to win tonight. Wales, meanwhile, would guarantee their spot in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a win.
Here is how things stand in Pool C ahead of kick-off:
1. Wales - 10 points
2. Fiji - 6 points
3. Australia - 6 points
4. Georgia - 2 points
5. Portugal - 2 points
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