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How Wales could be humbled again without even playing
Wales are probably sick of the sight of Australia by now following their 2-0 series defeat at the hands of the Wallabies, but things could get even worse for them in Sydney this weekend.
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The Allianz Stadium, the scene of Wales’ first Test 25-16 defeat to Australia which sent them out of the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in history, plays host to what could be another significant game on Saturday.
Wales fans could wake up to the stark reality that their team is officially worse than Georgia, as a shock win for the Lelos over Joe Schmidt’s side – not entirely impossible given recent form, although Australia beat them by 20points at the Rugby World Cup – would see the eastern Europeans move above them in the rankings.
Georgia would jump up to 11th, and two weeks after losing their place in the top 10 for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003, Wales would fall to a new record low of 12th.
Such an outcome would add further fuel to the debate about Georgia meriting a place in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and may lead to another invitation from the Georgian rugby to Wales about staging a play-off game, or games, to settle the argument once and for all.
Earlier this year, after Georgia had claimed a seventh straight Rugby Europe Championship title and Wales suffered their first Six Nations whitewash in 20 years, Georgian Rugby president Ioseb Tkemaladze told the Daily Mail: “It’s my great pleasure to invite our dear friends from Wales to play Georgia in Tbilisi this autumn.
“After a thrilling Six Nations and Georgia’s seventh success in a row in Rugby Europe, it’s the fixture rugby fans everywhere are crying out for so I really hope the Welsh can take up our invitation.
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“Of course we’d be equally happy to play them in Cardiff – where we won a famous victory in 2022. Maybe a double-header can be arranged.”
Wales never took them up on it, and left it until the Rugby World Cup to flex their muscles, beating Georgia 43-19 in their final Pool D game in Nantes.
Whilst a win for Georgia of any magnitude this weekend would rank alongside some of the biggest rugby shocks in recent years, a victory by more than two scores is unthinkable, especially for beleaguered Wallabies supporters.
A win for Georgia by more than 15 points would not only send the Lelos into the top 10 for the first time in history but also result in another proud rugby nation crashing out of the elite, with Australia dropping to a record low of 11th.
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