The Australian Wallabies are staring down the barrel of their first winless tour of Europe in 67 years after a chastening record defeat to Ireland in Dublin. The final score of 46-19 at a rain-soaked Aviva Stadium leaves coach Joe Schmidt's men with one last chance to salvage pride against France.
Hansen's Haunting First-Half Hat-Trick
In a cruel twist of fate, the architect of the Wallabies' downfall was one of their own. Mack Hansen, the Canberra-born speedster, delivered a devastating performance, scoring a hat-trick of tries within the opening 28 minutes. Playing at fullback instead of his usual wing, Hansen looked razor-sharp despite a recent long-term foot injury, capitalising on the Wallabies' defensive frailties to put the game out of reach before the half-hour mark.
The Wallabies did manage first-half scores through Len Ikitau and Fraser McReight, but they were always playing catch-up against an Irish side that dominated possession and territory.
A Shattering Finale in Dublin
Any hope of a second-half comeback was extinguished in a disastrous final 10 minutes for the visitors. With the Wallabies reduced to 14 men after a yellow-red card to Nick Frost, Ireland ran in late tries through captain Caelan Doris, Ryan Baird, and Robbie Henshaw. Billy Pollard's 74th-minute try was a mere consolation for an Australian side that appeared weary and tactically outmatched.
The loss marks a third consecutive defeat on this tour, following earlier losses to England and Italy. This leaves the team facing the prospect of four straight losses in the northern hemisphere, a fate not suffered by any Wallabies team since 1958.
Schmidt's Dublin Return Turns Sour
The Aviva Stadium, a venue that witnessed so many of Joe Schmidt's greatest triumphs as Ireland coach, instead provided one of his most dispiriting nights in his farewell Test in Dublin. The record-breaking margin of defeat—Ireland's biggest ever over Australia—adds to the humiliation for Schmidt and his squad.
All attention now turns to Paris, where the Wallabies must conjure something special against the Six Nations champions, France, to avoid an unwanted place in the history books.
