With a host of exciting international matches coming up Rugby fans are going to be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking out what fixture is likely to be the most action packed. England will be playing host to travelling side Samoa at Twickenham whilst Scotland will be taking on the mighty Australians.
One of the most highly anticipated matches on the forthcoming schedule however has to be the meeting between Wales and the All Blacks as the New Zealand team head to Cardiff to challenge the home side. As usual absolutely anything could happen and there are bound to be some upsets along the way. In anticipation we’ve decided to take a look back and 10 of the most memorable upsets rugby fans have had to endure to date. Make sure you keep your eyes here in AustralianCasinoClub for all the latest happenings.
AUSTRALIA VS WALES (1987)
Australia were battling for a piece of pride during their third-place play-off against Wales back in 1987. They had of course just been involved in one heck of a semi-final game against France but even if that result was a surprise what came next nobody was expecting. The game itself was very close almost throughout the entire match and it all came down to a late try from Wales’ Adrian Hadley with Paul Thorburn finishing off the Aussies with a superbly tight-angled conversion.
SOUTH AFRICA VS NEW ZEALAND (1995)
During the 1995 World Cup final it was the South Africans that broke that perception of the all-unconquerable All Blacks when both teams came face to face in the final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Both teams were undefeated at the top of their respective pools and with New Zealand’s Jonah Lomu looking absolutely unstoppable for most of the tournament it seemed certain that another All Blacks win was on the cards. But it was the Springboks, with support from a cheering home crowd that helped edge out the visitors. And it all came down to a Joel Stransky drop goal, scored during extra time.
SOMOA VS WALES (1999)
Back in 1999 history repeated itself once more to break Welsh hearts. Western Samoa had previously upset Wales in 1991 but this World Cup defeat, which once more came at the hands of the battling Samoan side, was even more of a bitter blow as it occurred on home soil as Wales were the tournament hosts at the time. It also marked the home sides’ first defeat at the Millennium Stadium, their new home.
FIJI VS WALES (2007)
Fiji’s Graham Dewes planted the final try of the game against Wales which resulted in the Fijians tallying up a surprising victory over the Welsh side. They were on fire pretty much throughout the entire match but it was mostly thanks to their first half performance that helped them become frontrunners for the win. The victory managed to help the Fijians into the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Cup, held in France.
IRELAND VS AUSTRALIA (2011)
In 2011 it was up to the underdogs on the field to once more prove that the mighty Australian team is not the unbeatable force it always appears to be. In a group stage match against Ireland it was the Irish side that blew everyone’s minds when they climbed to the top of their Pool at the 2011 World Cup by beating the Aussies. Mostly thanks to some outstanding play from the Irish side, including some stand out performances from both Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara.
SOUTH AFRICA VS JAPAN (2015)
At the 2015 Rugby World Cup an incredible upset occurred when Japan managed to sneak an unexpected win from right under the noses of the South African side. Brighton was the setting and the Cherry Blossoms went for broke and to everyone’s surprise managed to edge out the experienced Springboks 32 to 34.
The post Greatest Rugby upsets in history appeared first on Planet Rugby.