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
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Your support makes all the difference.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
When is Wales vs Australia and how can I watch it?
When is Wales vs Australia?
Wales vs Australia is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Sunday 24 September at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV1, with coverage on the channel from 7:15pm BST. Registered users can also stream the action via ITVX.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
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.
Read Luke Baker’s full preview of this evening’s game
Eddie Jones faces ultimate test of his rugby philosophy as Wales await
Australia take on Wales in Lyon on Sunday with their Rugby World Cup hopes hanging by a thread
Is Wales vs Australia on TV? Channel, start time and how to watch Rugby World Cup fixture online
Wales could guarantee their spot in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals should they beat Australia in a crunch match today.
Warren Gatland’s side have eked out two hard-fought wins over Fiji and Portugal in the first two weeks to leave themselves on the brink of the knockout stages. A win in Lyon would guarantee their progression and likely see them top the pool.
Australia, meanwhile, could be on the brink of elimination should they fail to beat Wales. Eddie Jones’s side beat Georgia in their opening game but fell to a shock defeat against Fiji to leave their quarter-final hopes hanging in the balance.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Is Wales vs Australia on TV? Channel, start time and how to watch online
Everything you need to know ahead of the Pool C fixture
Wales vs Australia
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Wales vs Australia. It’s a crunch match at the Rugby World Cup with defeat all-but confirming Australia’s exit during the pool stage for the first time in their history.
If the Wallabies win however, it will be calculators out over the final few games to see which two of them, Wales and Fiji qualify for the last eight. It will be a huge evening in Lyon
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