How disappointing has the Rugby World Cup been for the Wallabies? Extremely, and it was compounded by that hefty loss to the Welsh last week.
Things nee to be learned, and changes need to be made if Australian rugby isn’t going to continually slip into a hole, and it can start with a proud performance and big win over minors, Portugal.
Portugal have exceeded my expectations in France – I didn’t have them drawing with Georgia, but the Wallabies comfortably saw off a challenge from that nation, and I am expecting something similar here.
The Springboks can take another step towards the knockout stage of the Rugby World Cup with a win over Tonga.
They stunned by a very good Ireland side last week, but that was a match that definitely could have fallen either way, and the manner of Ireland’s win over Tonga (59-16) is therefore something I can’t look away from here.
Tonga have been competitive in patches, but they’re 0-2, and I can’t imagine that record changing against a genuine World Cup heavyweight. That being said, I thought the 40.5 line that is available at publish was a little steep.