Australia were in turmoil after their group stage exit from the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Joe Schmidt has steadied the ship and they are ready to at least put up a fight against the British & Irish Lions in 2025.
Australia (8.00) failed to deliver at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. They were beaten 22-15 by Fiji (34.02) and hammered 40-6 by Wales (41.02).
Under Joe Schmidt, they have taken huge strides forward. They are now ready to host the British & Irish Lions even with Northern Hemisphere rugby in a strong position.
Northern Hemisphere’s Progress
A year ago, it looked as if the B&I Lions would be far too strong for the Wallabies. This is due to the strides made in Northern Hemisphere rugby since the Lions’ last tour of Australia in 2013, as well as Australia’s collapse.
The 2013 tour happened at a time when New Zealand, Australia and South Africa were generally considered to be the dominant sides in world rugby. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, this was proven when New Zealand beat Australia in the final, and South Africa beat another Southern Hemisphere nation, Argentina, in the third-place playoff.
The 2023 World Cup showed that the Southern Hemisphere is still dominant but the margins are finer. Even with a more dominant Southern Hemisphere and a stronger Wallabies side, the Lions beat Australia 2-1 in 2013. It looked likely that 2025 would be a huge win for them.
Australian Rugby’s 2024 Revival
The Wallabies showed tentative signs of progress in their first tests under Joe Schmidt when they beat Wales twice and then Georgia in their mid-year tests.
Australia’s weaknesses were exposed at the Rugby Championship, where they won only one of six games.
However, their end-of-year tour of Europe highlighted their progress. The Wallabies beat England 42-37 and had a more comfortable margin of victory against Wales – 52-20. They may have lost 27-13 to Scotland and suffered a narrow 22-19 defeat to Ireland. However, Australia’s progress is there for all to see.
It is unclear if Schmidt will remain in the role until the 2027 World Cup as his contract expires after the Lions tour. Although there is plenty of work still to be done, he has made Australian rugby more competitive again. This sets fans and online sports betting enthusiasts up for a thrilling series.
