Nine months ago, the Wallabies were flogged by Wales. This week, they’re strong favourites ... to beat Wales

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Nine months ago, the Wallabies were flogged by Wales. This week, they’re beardown favourites ... to bushed Wales

Nine months ago, the Wallabies’ World Cup run came to a humiliating extremity with a grounds 40-6 flogging by Wales. On 1 of Australian rugby’s darkest days, Wallabies fans successful Lyon began streaming retired agelong earlier the last hooter sounded.

Just 285 days later, the 2 sides volition conscionable again successful Sydney connected Saturday and the Wallabies are rated short-priced favourites to bushed up Wales. Yes, you work that right.

Bookmakers successful Australia person Wales arsenic $5.85 outsiders, and British odds-setters are successful the aforesaid ballpark. Against a Wales broadside that played the satellite champion Springboks 2 weeks ago, the Wallabies, who person had little than two weeks of grooming nether caller manager Joe Schmidt, are regarded arsenic $1.15 favourites to triumph the archetypal Test astatine Allianz Stadium connected Saturday.

“Well, we’ll instrumentality that,” Wales defence manager Mike Forshaw said astir his team’s underdog status. “We’ll instrumentality that.”

Winger Rio Dyer, who came disconnected the seat successful Wales’ large triumph implicit the Wallabies, recalled it being a “special night” and was pivotal successful securing his side’s spot successful the playoffs. But this week?

“They’ve got the location advantage. They’re the ones who are astir apt the favourites astatine the moment,” Dyer said.

Richie Arnold during the Wallabies’ nonaccomplishment to Wales astatine the World Cup.

So what is going on? After the roaring bin occurrence of 2023, however connected world could the Wallabies beryllium considered favourites to triumph their archetypal crippled of 2024?

Given the deficiency of on-field grounds astir Schmidt’s influence, truthful far, the trajectory of Wales since the World Cup and their grounds successful Australia are the main factors.

After the World Cup, Wales bid farewell to galore experienced players and, equipped with a caller squad, Warren Gatland’s squad had a disappointing Six Nations campaign.

They failed to triumph a crippled and dropped to 10th connected the satellite rankings, beneath Australia (ninth). After a 41-13 nonaccomplishment to the Boks successful June, Gatland named a squad for the July circuit with a immense fig of missing stars, who person either retired, are injured oregon are being rested for this tour.

Joe Schmidt gives immoderate absorption astatine Wallabies grooming successful Brisbane this week.

Names similar Leigh Halfpenny, Ken Owens, Toby Faletau, George North, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Gareth Anscombe and Jac Morgan are not here. One – flying winger Louis Rees-Zammit – has adjacent joined Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs via the NFL International Player pathway.

“That time [in Lyon], everything went close for us. It was 1 of those days,” Forshaw said.

“We were astir apt achromatic blistery past arsenic a Wales team. Since that game, we’ve astir apt mislaid five, six 100 caps. It’s a situation for our lads to play against the Wallabies.

“It’s a agelong clip since Wales won implicit here, if my representation serves maine right. It’s a antithetic situation playing against Australian teams successful Australia.”

Wales haven’t beaten the Wallabies successful Australia since a 19-16 triumph astatine the SCG successful 1969.

And with a situation of assurance successful Welsh rugby that isn’t a cardinal miles from the 1 cloaking Australian rugby, the anticipation of the tourists’ breaking the drought has been acceptable astatine a debased level.

But surely Wales tin instrumentality assurance from the 40-6 triumph and, with a accelerated start, re-open immoderate of those still-fresh wounds?

“A lot’s been said astir the Wallabies successful the summertime [but] they’ll person parked that by now,” Forshaw said.

“I deliberation Joe volition beryllium rather smart. They’ll beryllium a antithetic side. They’ll beryllium a antithetic animal. I deliberation they’ll beryllium a batch much structured. They’ll cognize precisely what they’re going for.

“Joe is simply a forensic manager and he’s astir apt not had his fingerprints connected the occupation arsenic agelong arsenic helium would person liked. But I’m definite he’s got capable determination to marque them precise competitory connected Saturday night.”

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