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SAINT ETIENNE – Boyo boy. This week is a massive one for Australian rugby – but before we look too far ahead to the battle with the red dragon in Lyon (and South Africa’s marquee date with Ireland), let’s take some time to savour another intriguing seven days at the Rugby World Cup.
The second round of fixtures kicked off with France against Uruguay and the hosts were made to battle by a willing South American outfit. Myself, and the St Etienne-based Australian reporting contingent watched this in a rugby bar called the Six Nations, and there were some anxious home fans for a long stretch of the game, before their class showed.
There was a big minnow effort from Portugal as well with one special celebration.
But for many this weekend gone will be the one where chickens came home to roost for Eddie Jones after a string of strange (or bold) selection decisions and his luck abandoned him with the loss of two big guns.
Anyway, let’s crack on…
Fiji’s magic night in St Etienne
Most of Australia’s media focus has been on the failure of Jones’ team to handle the physicality and intensity of Simon Raiwalui’s Fijian team, but let’s give credit where it’s due to his exciting team.
As a former assistant coach with the Wallabies, Raiwalui understands better than most the financial and resourcing disparity between the tier one Australians – for example Jones has three sports psychologists on call to work with his players – and the tier two Fijian team.
“There is a difference between the developed and developing nations but we have been very lucky with our sponsors,” Raiwalui said.
“World Rugby have been a great support for us. We have prepared with what we have got, the best we can. We may not get the luxuries of the sports psychologists but we are lucky we have other things.
“We are able to bring in a reverend. You talk about mental well-being but our mental well-being is in connection with our religion and people. Our game and campaign is geared towards us being Fijians.
Waisea Nayacalevu of Fiji leads his teammates as players of of Fiji perform the Cibi(Photo by World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
“We always want more resources but you have to make do with what you have. I would take more matches over resources. The more matches we get at this level – I’m talking outside of the World Cup – if Fiji can get these tier-one matches more regularly, you’ve seen what these boys can do when they get competition.”
A lot was made of the heavy workload Jones put the Wallabies through in the lead up to the World Cup – but Fiji were doing the hard yards as well – even sleeping on mats in a school gym during camp.
“This is just the way we have been brought up. We have to sleep on a mat on the floor,” said the team’s winger and former NRL star Semi Radradra.
Semi Radradra of Fiji speaks with Mark Nawaqanitawase of Australia after exchanging their match shirts after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Fiji at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 17, 2023 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Pauline Ballet – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
Raiwalui had taken the team back to his village, a move that appears to have increased the bonds of an already close knit group.
“It is very important to us. A few of us play in Europe and in France so when we go back we stay in the city. It was telling that Simon took the team to the village, to connect to the people. During tough times, we have to look back at these moments,” said Radradra.
Bonus point wins against Georgia and Portugal will seal Fiji’s passage to the quarterfinals and leave Wales and Australia fighting it out for the other spot, but Radradra says the goal is beyond the last eight.
“That’s our goal, to win the World Cup. Nothing is impossible,” he said.
“It is the biggest moment in Fiji sport and Fiji as a whole, as a country,” added lock Temo Mayanavanua.
“Honestly, words cannot express how glad and how proud we are as Fijians. It’s been a while, the boys deserved it.”
Joe Marler using his head
England forward Joe Marler is always good for a line or two but he went next level in the mixed zone after England’s win over Japan.
The game turned when a pass struck Marler in the head, the action leading to a try assist for Courtney Lawes.
That the try stood surprised everyone, not the least Japan coach Jamie Joseph.
“That’s a first for me, man. Wow,” said the Kiwi.
“We just didn’t have any luck. We blew one here with an overthrow at the lineout, there was a juggling act there by Joe. Sometimes you need a little bit of luck as well. I guess that was a fair try. What more can you say really?”
It was, for all the world, a fluke, but Marler had other ideas.
“I had no idea, if I’m honest, I didn’t know where I was. But it was planned. I’ve been practising my headers in activation with Dan Cole and Jamie George.
“I took a lot of inspiration from the mighty Seagulls – Brighton and Hove Albion – doing a demolition job on [Manchester] United, my son’s team. [Brighton beat United 3-1 in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday]. So I took inspiration from them and brought it into tonight’s game and I just found a way.”
Elite try celebrations in Wales v Portugal
Portugal gave Wales a bit of a wake up call before the British team overcame their pool C rivals.
Along the way were a couple of outstanding moments of celebration.
Welsh star Louis Rees-Zammit marked his try by mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s trademark SUII celebration.
While a few fans felt it was a moment of “shithousery” aimed at riling up the Portuguese, for whom Ronaldo is a national treasure, the Welsh star made it clear it was a tribute.
“Ronaldo is my favourite player,” said Rees-Zammit.
“I wear his boxers and I dress like him. And I thought why not do his celebration as well.”
And the 22-year-old had preplanned the moment.
Rees-Zammit, 22, admitted the celebration was pre-planned: “A few of my mates back home wanted me to do it.
“They’re massive football fans and obviously we don’t play Portugal very often. So I said if I scored, I’d do it for them.”
There was a beautiful moment in the same match when Portugal pulled off a stunning lineout move for a try to Nicolas Martins – the country’s first at a World Cup try since their last tournament appearance in 2007.
Australia’s injuries and the games being played
The circus around Will (he or won’t he) Skelton and the captain’s participation in the Fiji game says something about Eddie Jones and his unusual prep for Sunday night – we just can’t be sure what that is.
Skelton was officially withdrawn an hour before kickoff – two days after The Roar’s Christy Doran reported the news that Skelton had a more significant calf strain than the Wallabies were letting on and was no chance of taking the field.
The Wallabies players and assistant coach Dan Palmer played along with Jones’ ridiculous subterfuge – even after Matt Philip took Skelton’s place in the team photo and what should have been a career highlight for Dave Porecki – in being named captain – was completely overshadowed.
After the game I asked Jones at the press conference why he waited so long to officially rule out Skelton and what the value of that was.
“Well, we wanted to try to get him right if we could; I said that on Thursday. We wanted to try and get him right if we could. And under regulations we only need to name a team an hour before kick-off, so all we we’re doing is being good boys, following the regulations of the tournament,” Jones said.
My face clearly gave away my thoughts on the substance of that answer.
“Have you got a problem with that … following the regulations of the tournament?” Jones responded.
Was it an attempt to unsettle Fiji, or even Wales? Or did Jones genuinely think Skelton was a chance? Highly unlikely seeing as the player was in a moon boot and Jones had no hesitation in ruling him, and Taniela Tupou, out of the Wales game as well.
SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 17: Will Skelton of Australia looks on as he applauds fans, whilst wearing a protective boot on his left foot after injuring his calf, after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Fiji at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 17, 2023 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
As plenty of commenters on The Roar suggested, Jones could have been upfront and not played the fans for fools. With Jones having a 1-7 record and on the verge of leading Australia to a pool stage World Cup exit for the first time in history – supporter goodwill is wearing thin, and playing mind games with little upside does nothing to address that.
The TMO (of course)
Yes, we realise TMO consistency will be a weeping sore throughout the rest of the tournament, and this week was no different.
Ethan de Groot’s red card has seen him banned for two games (three with one off for going to tackle school) while Frenchman Romain Taofifenua escaped with just a yellow 24 hours earlier against Uruguay, sending the conspiracy theorists into overdrive.
“We will have a look at it, there was a lot of shoulder on shoulder in that contact, but we will compare it to something that happened yesterday and see what comes from it,” said Ian Foster, adding fuel to the fire.
Perhaps the most puzzling decision of the week was given against Portugal when Vincent Pinto received a red card for his inadvertent kick in the face of Wales winger Josh Adams.
Referee Karl Dickson sent the incident upstairs to TMO Marius Jonker. Pinto was yellow carded and the card was upgraded to red on review – Pinto looked distraught on the Portugal bench.
“Horrific decision to give a yellow card for Pinto for that foot to the head, he’s falling backwards and over as he’s caught the ball! Simple physics! What the f–k?!” Goode wrote on X.
“Some garbage decisions and inconsistencies this weekend with [Ethan] De Groot’s red and [Romain] Taofifenua’s yellow but that red for Pinto tops the lot!”
The Australian coach was clearly feeling the heat this week – with fewer zingers and a ratcheting up of the grumpiness scale.
It started on Friday at the team announcement when he came in moments after it was announced that Will Skelton was in doubt for the weekend and resembled a little black cloud in a team polo shirt – barely mustering up full sentences.
There were however, a couple of outstanding moments for the Eddie highlights reel including a running battle with The Times reporter Owen Slot, with whom he has history from his time with England.
“I thought you didn’t like me mate, why are you following me around?” Eddie said when asked a question by the Englishman at the team naming press conference. Slot said he thought they had a “great relationship”. “Well, I beg to differ on that,” Jones replied.
After the loss to Fiji, Jones asked Slot if he “wanted to have a bit of a dig mate?” The reporter declined to which Jones replied: “It’s always good to kick a dead body, mate.”
On Sonny Bill Williams statement that he should have taken an experienced flyhalf to mentor Carter Gordon: “When you’re a television commentator you’re always right. Maybe I need to be a television commentator then I’ll be right all the time. We’ve gone with a young team. I’ve got no regrets at all.”
On being booed by fans in St Etienne: “I’m a bit used to it mate, and after that I probably deserve more. They should probably be throwing baguettes or croissants at me. It’s not good enough. I deserve whatever I get.”
On his feeling the morning after the Fiji defeat: “I woke up in the morning hoping the result was different but it was still the same.”