© Reuters
It would be fair to say that Australia will head into the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France with little in the way of expectation resting on their shoulders.
The two-time world champions have had a miserable time in this tournament in the 21st century, with two runners-up finishes as good as it has got for the Wallabies.
The decision to appoint Eddie Jones as head coach in January was designed to boost Australia's chances of getting their hands on the trophy for the third time.
However, things have not gone according to plan, with the Wallabies slipping to five successive defeats under the former England boss.
That run of form has resulted in Australia being largely overlooked in the outright betting market – something that would previously have been unthinkable.
The top Rugby World Cup betting sites rate Australia at a best-priced 14/1 to win the tournament, with a quarter-final exit expected to be the limit of what they achieve.
The Wallabies were routed 41-17 by France in their final warm-up game – a result which saw the hosts cut to 11/4 by online bookmakers to become world champions.
Despite the team's struggles, Jones has insisted that Australia have the ability to emerge victorious when the final is staged on October 28.
"No one thinks we can win, which is a great situation to be in," said Jones. "If I look at all the teams in the World Cup, most teams are at the end of their cycle.
"Look at the Irish team, a very good team, but a lot of players at the end of their careers. New Zealand are the same and South Africa to a larger extent.
"Those teams, while they can grow, they can't grow as quickly as we can. I've got a fair bit of optimism about what we can do.
"You need things to go right, and you need a bit of luck. But we work hard enough. We'll generate enough good luck and then you don't know where we can go."
Tough Draw Makes Things Tricky for Australia
Jones' hopes of upsetting the odds in France have not been helped by the team landing in the toughest half of the draw.They are the bookies' favourites to win Pool C, with only Wales and Fiji expected to mount a serious challenge to the Wallabies.
Georgia and Portugal complete the line-up, but are rated as nothing more than cannon-fodder for the big-hitters in the group.
Things are expected to get difficult for Australia in the quarter-finals, with England or Argentina likely to be waiting at the stage of the competition.
A victory there would put them on a collision course with South Africa, Ireland, France or New Zealand – all of whom would be favourites to beat the Wallabies.
Despite their tough route to the final, it would be foolish to underestimate Australia's chances given Jones' belligerent nature.
Never one to shirk a challenge, Jones has generated plenty of headlines since stepping into the hot-seat earlier this year.
Star players Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper have been dropped, while Jones has made Will Skelton his captain despite his lack of leadership experience.
Jones believes Skelton's track record of success at club level with La Rochelle will help him make a seamless transition into captaining an international team.
Australia's opening fixture against Georgia gives them an excellent chance of making a strong start, with top betting sites rating them as 1/33 shots in the match winner market to get the job done.
With Rugby World Cup getting plenty of exposure in betting circles, punters worldwide will undoubtedly be looking at other markets on this particular game.
The winning margin market will likely prove popular, giving punters the chance to grab much better odds on if they bet on the correct points range.
In-play markets are also expected to see plenty of action as rugby bettors take advantage of innovations that have boosted the enjoyment of watching many other popular sports.
The second game against Fiji will likely generate even more betting interest on online sportsbooks, with the two-time quarter-finalists boasting several players who could cause Australia problems.
They include Semi Radradra – a talented centre who Bristol coach Pat Lam has described as 'one of the best players in the world'.
Australia will need to be on their guard against Fiji, but this is another game they should win if they play to their full potential.
The winners of the group will likely be determined when Australia go head-to-head with Wales at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon on September 24.
Warren Gatland is a wily head coach and will fancy his chances of delivering a winning return for punters against the Wallabies.
Regardless of the result against Wales, the Aussies should book their place in the quarter-finals by defeating Portugal in their final group game.
Will Jones go One Better?
Jones guided Australia to the Rugby World Cup final in 2003 and he firmly believes they can go one better this time around.Given their recent form his confidence looks sorely misplaced, but he will be doing everything he can to end Australia's 24-year wait to lift the trophy.
