Did the Wallabies qualify for the quarter-finals? Australia officially knocked out of Rugby World Cup

Liam O'Loughlin

Jed Wells

Did the Wallabies qualify for the quarter-finals? Australia officially knocked out of Rugby World Cup image

It has been a disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign for the Wallabies, who have now officially been eliminated frm the tournament, registering a historically-low finish in the process.

After going 2-2 through the group stage, including tough losses to Fiji and Wales, Australia have now missed the quarter-finals for the first time in the history of the event. 

The side had a mathematical chance to progress to the next round heading into the clash between Fiji and Portugal, but their hopes of continuing their campaign was dashed despite a shocking result. 

Did the Wallabies qualify for the quarter-finals?

The 2023 Rugby World Cup did not go at all the way Australia planned, two bad losses through the group stage compounded with multiple injuries to key players seeing the team on the edge of elimination. 

MORE: Watch all the action from the Rugby World Cup with every match streaming ad-free, live and on demand in 4K UHD, only on Stan Sport.

But there was still a slim chance that the team could sneak through to the next round, hinging on a wild upset. 

After securing a win against Portugal a week ago, Australia sat second in their pool, behind Wales but in front of Fiji, who still had a game in hand, taking on Portugal in what should have been an easy win for the island nation. 

However, Portugal claimed a shock upset in the 24-23 victory - but given the fact they needed to win by seven or more points for the Wallabies to continue in the World Cup, Eddie Jones' team are now heading home early. 

Fiji vs Portugal result Meaning for Wallabies
Fiji wins Fiji finish second, Wallabies eliminated
Portugal wins by less than seven Fiji ties with Wallabies, win tie-breaker head-to-head, Wallabies eliminated
Portugal wins by more than seven Wallabies finish second, advance to quarter-finals

Fiji vs Portugal final score, result

In a back-and-forth encounter, Portugal escaped with a 24-23 victory over Fiji on Monday morning (AEDT), knocking the Aussies out of the World Cup. 

Rugby World Cup 2023 Wallabies results

Australia (35) def. Georgia (15)
Australia (15) def. by Fiji (22)
Australia (6) def. by Wales (40)
Australia (34) def. Portugal (14)

Liam O'Loughlin

Liam O'Loughlin Photo

Liam has been with The Sporting News since 2019, helping lead both NRL and cricket content, as well as delving into the world of combat sports and NFL. A true rugby league tragic, he has spent the past 20 years playing, coaching and volunteering for his beloved junior club, Penshurst RSL. 

Away from work, Liam has a lifelong passion for all things pro wrestling and has travelled abroad to attend showcase events for WWE, AEW and NJPW. 

 

Jed Wells

Jed Wells Photo

Jed is a writer and social media producer, who has a keen interest in the intersection of sports and popular culture, especially basketball.