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Saint-Etienne: Eddie Jones has taken full accountability for Australia’s 22-15 World Cup loss to Fiji and concedes next week’s showdown with Wales is effectively a do-or-die game if his team wants to avoid becoming the first Wallabies side in history to fall at the pool stage.
Within 80 minutes, the script flipped for Australia’s World Cup campaign as an emotional and energetic Fiji secured arguably their greatest win at rugby’s centrepiece event.
As dazzling as Fiji were, it was a forgettable night for the Wallabies, with ill-discipline – Australia conceded 18 penalties – and elementary errors ruining their chances of reversing a 12-8 half-time deficit.
An opening 35-15 win against Georgia was satisfying, after a poor couple of months, but the loss to Fiji in Saint-Etienne blurs Australia’s path to the last eight.
Jones has been bullish about Australia’s chances of winning the World Cup, despite five consecutive losses before the tournament. He now has the tag of being in charge of a Wallabies team that lost to Fiji for the first time in 69 years.
Jones wasn’t born the last time Fiji tasted success against the Wallabies in 1954, an 18-16 result at the SCG.
James Slipper after the Wallabies’ loss to Fiji at the World Cup in France.Credit: AP
At his post-match press conference, Jones was far less positive than he has been previously this year.
“We’re doing our absolute best and I apologise,” Jones said. “It’s my fault. I take full responsibility for it.
“After that, I probably deserved more [criticism from the crowd]. They should be throwing baguettes, croissants at me. I deserve whatever I get.
“It definitely hurts me personally, 100 per cent. I’m 100 per cent responsible for it. I do remember South Africa lost a game and won a World Cup [in 2019], so funny things have happened.”
Australia have tasted victory in just one of their seven Tests this year. When combining Jones’ most recent Test results as coach of Australia and England, he has four wins from his past 16 Tests.
A small positive for the Wallabies is they came away from Saint-Etienne with a bonus point for getting within seven points of Fiji.
Frank Lomani’s late penalty attempt, off the back of a dominant Fiji scrum, went to the left.
Eddie Jones during a training session in Saint-Etienne.Credit: Getty
“It could be massively important,” Jones said. “As disappointing as our performance was today, we get a point out of it.”
After two matches, Australia and Fiji are tied for second in Pool C on six points, with Wales on 10 points.
The top two teams go through to the quarter-finals. Australia need to beat Wales to have any chance of progressing and, even then, depending on bonus points, it is not guaranteed.
A loss to Wales would all but send the Wallabies home, for the first time in 10 World Cup campaigns, before the quarter-finals.
Asked if Sunday’s match in Lyon (Monday AEST) is do-or-die, Jones said: “Probably so, if you do the figures. I think it will be. I’ve got no doubt we’ll get a response [from the players].
“I was really pleased with the character our young team showed and, when Fiji is on the front foot in a fairly hostile environment, it would have been easy for our team to go away but they didn’t.
“The great thing about the World Cup is it’s not the end of the road. We’ve got Wales next week, so we need to kick some stones tonight, work out where we can improve quickly and then get on with the game against Wales.
“I think they’ve gone back to a traditional style of Welsh play. A lot of the play comes off [Wales five-eighth Dan] Biggar. Their defence has improved and their lineout has improved. They’ve made big changes in their game since Warren [Gatland, Wales coach] has taken charge. They’ll be a tough team to beat.”
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