Eddie Jones and Australia keep hopes alive after bonus-point Portugal win |

Australia fans do not currently know whether to laugh or cry. Even this bonus-point win felt like a mixed blessing, technically keeping the team alive in the tournament but also serving to extend their qualification agony for another week. Unless Fiji contrive to lose against Portugal in their final Pool C match this weekend it will be game over for the Wallabies regardless.

At least they avoided the ultimate indignity of defeat by a spirited Portuguese side who asked enough attacking questions to delight both their travelling fans and their growing band of neutral admirers worldwide. Despite being temporarily reduced to 13 men at one stage in the second half, however, Eddie Jones’s side had a sufficiently big lead to avoid the unthinkable.

It is a sign of the times, nevertheless, when beating the world’s 16th‑ranked side represents a relative high point. On another day Portugal might have scored at least a couple more tries, with the Australia defence under frequent pressure, but a costly first-half yellow card significantly undermined their cause and tries from Richie Arnold, Dave Porecki, Angus Bell, Fraser McReight and Marika Koroibete ultimately proved decisive.

While Jones did his best to put a positive gloss on the situation – “We only had one objective and that was to stay alive” – he is fully aware of the intense public disquiet back home at the Wallabies’ near-certain failure to make the last eight for the first time in their history. “The disappointment is that we haven’t controlled our own destiny,” he said. “As I’ve said before, I take full responsibility for that.”

Even before kick-off there was loud booing around the stadium whenever Jones’s face appeared on the big screen – “At least they know who I am” – and the Wallabies’ defeats against Fiji and Wales are destined to remain the defining moments of their ill‑fated campaign. Jones is a survivor but this year – P9 W2 L7 – has been a rough old ride even by his standards. Whether he bats on or not, Australian rugby union is quite clearly in need of a major reboot.

It certainly feels a while ago since Jones’s Japan stunned South Africa in one of the all-time great World Cup heists in 2015. The local streets and trams were full of Portuguese fans hoping for a similar miracle on a gorgeous sunny day, with Os Lobos still rated as 22-1 outsiders before kick-off, despite having lost by only 28-8 against Wales who subsequently beat the Wallabies 40-6.

Quick in thought and deed, they have been doing their country proud at this World Cup and did so once again here. They also scored the game’s first try after Koroibete got himself into a complete tangle in his own in-goal area and conceded an attacking five‑metre scrum. With advantage being played the Portuguese backs moved the ball wide and their tall centre Pedro…