Australia's national rugby team has completed a disastrous European tour without a single victory, culminating in a 48-33 defeat against France at the Stade de France in Paris. The loss marks the Wallabies' first winless four-Test tour of Europe since 1958, creating unwanted history for the beleaguered squad.
Pressure Mounts on Schmidt After Record Defeat
The defeat increases pressure on coach Joe Schmidt, whose winning percentage has now dropped below 40%. Schmidt's side has become the first Australian team to lose ten Tests in a single calendar year, with only Dave Rennie's 36% record being worse among Wallabies coaches with twenty matches or more in nearly sixty years.
Despite early promise shown through victories against the British and Irish Lions and a historic win over world champions South Africa, the Wallabies' recent form has collapsed dramatically. Les Kiss is scheduled to replace Schmidt after the inaugural Nations Championship next July, leaving limited time to prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Encouraging Start Fades Against French Power
The Wallabies began strongly in Paris, with hooker Matt Faessler scoring from a pick-and-drive effort to establish an early 5-0 lead. Prop Angus Bell then produced a spectacular 30-metre runaway try after Jake Gordon's quick tap caught the French defence unprepared.
At halftime, the scores were locked at 19-19 after Faessler's second try from a driving maul, capitalising on French scrumhalf Maxime Lucu's yellow card. The forward pack, including props Taniela Tupou and Angus Bell alongside two-try hero Faessler, delivered powerhouse performances that initially threatened an upset against the European champions.
French Class Ultimately Prevails
Australia briefly closed the gap to a single point when winger Max Jorgensen produced a magical solo try, but that proved the closest they would come to victory. Electric French winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey inspired Les Bleus as they pulled away with further tries from the world player of the year nominee, plus contributions from hookers Julien Marchand and Maxime Lamothe.
The Wallabies' inability to maintain their performance for the full eighty minutes proved costly once again, with the team conceding ten second-half penalties that allowed France to establish a match-winning sixteen-point lead.
World Cup Seeding Consequences
The fifteen-point defeat carries significant consequences for Australia's World Cup prospects. The Wallabies needed to win by sixteen points to secure a top-six seeding for next month's 2027 World Cup draw. Instead, as tournament hosts, they now face the prospect of a sudden-death round-of-sixteen showdown against global heavyweights like South Africa, New Zealand, France, Ireland, or England.
This historic winless tour represents one of Australian rugby's lowest ebbs, overshadowing occasional bright spots with consistent disappointment and raising serious questions about the team's direction less than three years before they host the sport's premier tournament.
