Pierre-Henry Broncan, assistant to Australian coach Eddie Jones during the 2023 World Cup, urged the Wallabies on Thursday to learn to “play under pressure”, a sine qua non condition, according to him, to hope to perform better at the World Cup 2027 organized at their home.
The Australians, defeated in the group stage by Fiji (22-15) then Wales (40-6), are on the verge of elimination even before their last match against Portugal, Sunday in Saint-Étienne (5:45 p.m. ). Unheard of since the creation of the Rugby World Cup in 1987. During a press briefing organized at the Wallabies base camp, Pierre-Henry Broncan, who came to “give a helping hand” to his friend Eddie Jones during the World Cup in France confided that he had already embarked on an audit of the Australian bankruptcy.
This rout, said the French technician, is not due to Eddie Jones – “Eddie will coach Australia next year, I’m sure. He’s a great coach” – but to the Wallabies’ difficulty handling the pressure of a match. “What differentiates a nation like France from Australia today is that its players are used to playing under pressure,” continued the former Castres coach, who will end his mission as soon as the Australia will be eliminated. “In France, in the Top 14, there is pressure in every match, because of the relegation and promotion system. In Super Rugby, you only play to win Super Rugby, which is fine, but nothing else,” he argued.
Mathematically, there remains a tiny chance for the Wallabies to reach the quarter-finals: for that to happen they would have to obtain an improved victory against Portugal and at the same time, Fiji take less than five points in the two matches they have played. They still have to play against Georgia and Portugal.
