Horror road trips put 11-loss season on cards
IF YOU think the Wallabies have hit rock-bottom after slumping to seventh in the world rankings following Saturday’s loss to Argentina, then turn away now because things might be about to get worse.
Even their most loyal supporters have lost all faith after the Wallabies’ fourth home defeat this year and now Michael Cheika’s wounded men are facing the ultimate road trip into some of the most hostile rugby grounds on the planet.
And they will have to do it without one of their key players after Lukhan Tui announced he was pulling out of the tour and taking a break following his ugly confrontation with a disgruntled fan in the wake of the loss on the Gold Coast.
This could turn out to be the worst year in Wallabies history, trumping the nine-loss season two years ago. They have already lost five matches in 2018 and have six tough games to go this year – all away from home.
The first task is South Africa in Port Elizabeth. The Springboks are on a massive high after their stunning victory over New Zealand and have set the perfect ambush for the Wallabies.
But that’s a doddle compared to the Wallabies’ next match against the Pumas in Salta, a remote city in the foothills of the Andes that is more than 1500m above sea level.
As soon as that match finishes, they’ll be back in the air for another gruelling trip home via Chile for a short rest before embarking on a tour of the northern hemisphere that is booby trapped from start to finish.
They take on the All Blacks at Yokohama, the venue for next year’s World Cup final, before going to Europe for Test matches on three successive weekends against Wales, Italy and finally England.