According to the Rhône prefecture, there is only a moderate seismic risk, even low, in the department. But you could be forgiven for having doubted this on Sunday, September 24. The shockwave of the Wallabies' 6-40 thrashing by Wales at Lyon's Groupama Stadium was felt almost 17,000 kilometers away, in Australia.

This much-awaited match between two former glories of international rugby, who have been struggling for several years, promised to be an indecisive encounter. The suspense only lasted for the first half. The Dragons exploited the Wallabies' naivety, who conceded far too many penalties to hope for a better outcome.

The absence through injury of Australia's two stalwarts, right-back Taniela Tupou and, above all, captain Will Skelton, weighed heavily. With an average age of 25 years and 10 months, the Australian team is one of the youngest in the tournament. All 33 players together have just 455 caps to their name. Prop James Slipper alone (132 caps) has more caps than the rest of the pack put together. In short, they are minnows.

In a country where television broadcasts more rugby league and Australian soccer matches, some young Wallabies have yet to master all the subtleties of rugby union. A case in point was number eight Rob Valetini, who forgot his flankers and fell on a loose ball after 48 minutes, giving Warren Gatland's men yet another penalty. Wales took advantage of the opportunity and went into the locker room with a 10-point lead (16-6).

Eddie Jones, Australia's coach, renowned for his toughness, probably did not have any kind words to share with his team during the halftime break. But any directions he gave clearly didn't bear fruit, because if the Australian team's first half was mediocre, the second was catastrophic. In 40 minutes, the Welsh inflicted a severe 24 points on the Wallabies, who scored nothing more in response. In the media box at Groupama Stadium, one word echoed over and over in the mouths of Australian journalists commenting on the match – "humiliation."

With two defeats in three matches, Australia has been virtually eliminated. This is a historic defeat. In nine appearances at the World Cup, this two-time winner of the Webb Ellis Trophy (in 1991 and 1999) has never been knocked out in the group phase. This is still true, as the Wallabies' elimination is not yet a foregone conclusion, but it would take a minor miracle to avoid it, such as Fiji being beaten by Georgia or Portugal.

According to the Australian media, Jones could soon be sacked. In January, he signed a five-year contract with the Australian Football Association, with the 2027 World Cup on home soil in his sights. If there is to be a sacking, it is unlikely to be announced in the next few days, as the Australians still have one match to play in this tournament, on October 1 in Saint-Etienne, against Portugal. Their torment is not over.

You have 44.65% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.