A crushing loss for Wallabies leaves question marks over Jones

The desperate Australians needed victory in Lyon over their unbeaten pool rivals on Sunday but barring a miracle that requires Fiji to lose both their remaining games without bonus points they will bow out.

It will mark the first time the Wallabies have ever missed the World Cup quarter-finals, with the defeat their biggest-ever in tournament history.

The loss capped a dramatic day with a report emerging that Jones had already interviewed for the Japan coaching role with an eye on departing the Australian set-up despite four years to run on his contract.

Asked about the alleged Japan interview post-match Jones said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about”, insisting he was 100 per cent committed to his job.

Jones insisted he was still the right man for the Wallabies’ job although he admitted it would be for others to decide.

“I think I’ve got I’ve got the ability to turn things around and I was hoping we were going to do it by now and we haven’t been able to,” he said.

“I take full responsibility for it, I haven’t done a good enough job and I’m bloody disappointed about that.

“I’ve got a contract but obviously at the end of the World Cup everyone does a review of performance and my performance will be reviewed and at the moment it’s not good enough.”

The Wallabies were looking to rebound from their first-ever defeat by Fiji in their last pool game but delivered another messy performance with poor decision-making and discipline again an issue.

It was highlighted by a bizarre decision not to take a penalty kick from right in front of the posts which would have closed the gap to 9-10 and instead opted for a line-out, which they lost.

Welsh flanker Jac Morgan grabbed the loose ball and booted a 50:22 and then the Wallabies gave away a penalty themselves, with Gareth Anscombe slotting a penalty for his team to lead 13-6.

Anscombe replaced star Welsh play-maker Dan Biggar, who was forced off after 12 minutes with a shoulder injury, and finished with a personal points tally of 23 points, including six penalty goals.

Long-time Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper, in commentary with Stan after being axed by Jones as he pursued a youth policy, said: “Tell me why you wouldn’t take the kick. I can’t see too many reasons why you wouldn’t.”

The Australians got off to the worst possible start, incurring a penalty seconds in and then Gareth Davies scored after three minutes after a break by flanker Jac Morgan.

Two penalties by new five-eighth Ben Donaldson meant the Wallabies trailed 7-6 but Anscombe kept the scoreboard ticking over for Wales to take a 16-6 lead into halftime.

Halfback Tate McDermott did his best to spark the attack but the combination with Donaldson didn’t really click while their set-piece failed to fire, particularly in the second half.

The death knell sounded for the men in gold seven minutes into the half when Anscombe noticed the Wallabies had no-one defending at fullback and chipped over the top for centre Nick Tompkins to run through and score.

The conversion pushed the lead out to a commanding 26-6 with Wales continuing the onslaught with 33 unanswered points to lock in their play-off berth.

Finding no way back into the match, the Wallabies went down with a whimper although still have to front for their final pool match next week against Portugal.

Hooper says he’s hurting for the Wallabies.

Players such as Rob Valentini and Nick Frost were in tears at fulltime.

Hooper was one of the biggest omissions from Eddie Jones’s World Cup squad, alongside playmaker Quade Cooper, as the coach pursued a youth agenda.

But the team’s inexperience on the big stage was telling with the Australians comprehensively outplayed by Wales and also by Fiji in their previous pool match.

In commentary veteran flanker Hooper said he felt for the players and their fans.

“I’m looking at the faces of our boys there on screen and that’s a representation of how we all feel I think, they’re absolutely gutted,” Hooper said on Stan Sport.

“There’s no lack of effort – obviously we’re well off the pace.

“I’ve still got my player’s hat on, I’m a part of this team, I was in here six or seven games ago too so it really hurts when you’re not able to get the pay-off for all the hard work you do but also give fans and the country something to get behind.

“As we saw with the Matildas earlier in the year, you want to get that ‘We can do something here’, and to have that ripped out from under you it’s heart-breaking.”

Former Test playmaker Bernard Foley, who was also omitted with Jones as the coach took only one specialist five-eighth in rookie Carter Gordon, tweeted: “It didn’t have to be like this.

“Players have always put in.”