Let us face it, the most appealing part of watching rugby is seeing our favourite teams go head-to-head in an epic battle for victory. Along the way, some interesting things are bound to happen, leaving audiences shocked, teams enraged and news agencies reaching a wider audience that never even considered watching rugby until something jaw-droppingly shocking happens.
So, in case you missed some of these life-changing moments in the world of Australian Rugby, or simply need a quick recap, here are some of the shocking moments that we are still trying to process.
Top 4 Shocking Rugby Moments
A Victory for the Tongans in 1973
The Tongans first encounter with the Australian team had been rough, however, the second time round they had learned from their mistakes. Not only did this become one of their greatest ever results, but it led to an impressive 16-11 victory that no one expected. Needless to say, their Australian hosts were not happy about this surprising loss.
A World Cup Semi-Final Loss Against France in 1987
Australia and New Zealand were the favourites to make it to the finals of the World Cup as they were thought to be the best teams at the time. So, when France was set to battle it out against Australia in the semi-finals, it was thought to be a pretty standard match with an obvious winner. The game was a nail bitter and at the end of it all, France emerged victoriously, leaving the Australian team – and the rest of the world – absolutely gobsmacked.
Wales’ Final Victory Against Australia in 1987
This one is not all bad news, as it has been quite a while since Wales managed to beat the Australian side. Even back in 1987, news of this victory had sent shockwaves through the world of rugby as most people assumed that Australia would win this match.
Ireland Beats Australia in 2011
Before 2011, Ireland had never been able to beat Australia in a World Cup fixture. In Dublin in 1991 and 1999, the Wallabies left a path of destruction as they beat the home team on both occasions. During the 2003 World Cup, Australia once again managed to beat the Irish team. This meant that by the time the 2011 World Cup came around, nobody ever really considered that the Irish team would be able to secure a win. However, the team from Ireland had put everything they had into the game, resulting in their best World Cup performance and a 15-6 win for the former underdogs.
It is not every day that the Wallabies experience defeat from some of the world’s most underestimated teams, but every once in a while, something happens like in the Soccer World Cup Wagering odds in NZ, and the world is left in shock as the former favourites admit defeat. It is easy to see why these are some of the biggest shockers in Australian Rugby history.