Wheelchair Rugby World Championship: Great Britain lose to Australia in last eight
- Published
GB's Aaron Phipps was aiming to add World gold to his Paralympic title
Great Britain suffered a disappointing defeat by old rivals Australia in the quarter-finals of the Wheelchair Rugby World Championship.
The Paralympic champions, ranked second in the world behind Japan, were beaten 54-45 in Vejle, Denmark.
Ryley Batt, one of the leading players in the world, was a constant threat for the winners, despite a shoulder injury.
GB will now face European champions France on Saturday in the play-offs for fifth to eighth place.
Australia, who finished second in Pool B behind Japan, started strongly and were 16-12 up after the first quarter, extending their lead to 29-24 at the break.
They pulled away further in the second half with Batt running the show and GB, who are yet to win a medal at a World Championship, were never able to get close to them.
Coach Paul Shaw's side won their first three Pool A games beating Switzerland 66-43, Germany 55-52 and New Zealand 55-50.
But a last-gasp score by France's Jonathan Hivernat sealed a 55-54 defeat in their penultimate pool game before they lost 55-49 to the US which meant GB finished in third place in the pool.