Let’s start with the moral of the story: being called Harry Potter isn’t enough to reverse the curve of fate on the rugby field. Thus, the Australian winger of the same name and his hapless companions could do nothing, Saturday November 22, against the French Muggles, who, not without difficulty, defeated them, 48-33, at the end of an autumn tour that nevertheless felt like unfinished business.
For Australia, which in 2027 will host the next World Cup on its soil, this is even a red alert, as it leaves Fanny behind (England, Italy, Ireland, everyone has topped it), confirming, like Wales, its ranking in a declining tenor. In contrast to South Africa which, after beating Ireland, in Dublin (13-24), confirmed its global leadership – this was even a big lesson from the intercontinental confrontation in the autumn –, as Toulouse full-back Thomas Ramos admitted: “Make no mistake, they are dominating world rugby at the moment.”
But let’s quickly return to the case of France, which throughout November raised the question,
