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The Wallabies’ goal for Spring Tour in bid to compete with B&I Lions in '25

Coach Joe Schmidt of Australia looks on during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between New Zealand All Blacks and Australia Wallabies at Sky Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

As Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and captain Harry Wilson spoke with reporters after Saturday’s 33-13 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington, the noise of a thunderous haka engulfed the room. It rubbed salt into the wound for the defeated Wallabies, but Schmidt remained positive.

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Schmidt understands that it was never going to be a quick fix for the Wallabies. It’s a process, but the coaching mastermind truly believes the Wallabies can compete with the heavily favoured Lions next July if they approach their upcoming Spring Tour the right way.

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland will host Australia in November. They’re the four nations that make up the prestigious British & Irish Lions representative side, and the team is set to travel Down Under for an intriguing three-Test series next year.

That makes these November Tests the perfect preparation for all involved.

While there’s a lot of expectation for the Lions to win this series and do it well, the Wallabies are by no means a team to be written off just yet. With these four Tests and a Super Rugby Pacific season still to come, Schmidt doesn’t see a reason to panic.

“Going north is, for us, still about building depth because that was this year’s big project was about building depth,” Schmidt told reporters on Saturday.

“We’ve had 16 debutants and a new leader and Harry’s done very, very well.

“Those four Test matches, they make up the Lions for next year so we get a good look at their personnel. Some of them I still know from having coached them. I know them well and I know how good they are.

“It’s bit like when we come up against the All Blacks, you know it’s going to be a really tough tour, but if we can keep building through that tour, then I think we put ourselves in a position of potentially being competitive next July.”

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When Schmidt was announced as the Wallabies’ newest head coach in January, it seemed like a daunting task for the rugby guru to take on. The New Zealander is a former World Rugby Coach of the Year but helping the Wallabies return to their former glory seemed like a tall order.

Australia won their first three Tests under Schmidt before The Rugby Championship got underway. They’ve since won just one of their two fixtures against each of South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand.

But it hasn’t been all bad.

On the back of the Wallabies’ heroics in Sydney which saw them so nearly complete an incredible comeback against the All Blacks, the men in gold shot out of the blocks with a confident start at Wellington’s Sky Stadium.

In their last Test before the trip to Europe, the Wallabies silenced the Wellington crowd with an early try to in-form flanker Fraser McReight. Two Noah Lolesio penalties had the visitors in a strong position with a one-point lead just before the half-time break.

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But, Caleb Clarke broke through the golden defensive line to score in the 40th minute to give the New Zealanders a hard-fought lead. The All Blacks ran riot after the break, adding another 14 points while the Wallabies were kept scoreless.

Points Flow Chart

New Zealand win +20
Time in lead
55
Mins in lead
18
68%
% Of Game In Lead
22%
57%
Possession Last 10 min
43%
0
Points Last 10 min
0

For captain Harry Wilson – who has only led the Wallabies in four Test so far – there was a clear message for the playing group after the Test: “Keep our heads up.”

“Obviously, we’re all extremely disappointed with the two results,” Wilson explained.

“We really wanted to put in a good performance this week and obviously we didn’t get it there.

“But, I guess for now, we get a few weeks off to try and just refresh the bodies and get excited for the northern tour which is something which is really exciting for all of us.”

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Comments

2 Comments
T
Terry24 142 days ago

Austarlia are #10 in World Rankings. To be the #1 seeded team in their RWC 2027 pool they need to be in the top 6 in the rankings be Dec 2025 at the latest.

They are a full 5 points behind Argentina who are #6 in rankings (84 versus 79). This tour is absolutely critical. The match against Scotland and Wales are must wins. They really need to scalp England or Ireland also and hope that Italy ambush Argentina. (Italy are targeting Argentina). Will Schmidt target Ireland?


This is the legacy that Eddie Jones has left. It is disastrous. Jones could have considered this before blowing Australia up before the World Cup.


If Australia don't get into the top 6 then they are playing a top 6 in their pool and if they finish second, they will likely face another top 6 in the 1/8 final. Depending on who that is, this would entail being eliminated in the round of 16 in their own home tournament! A tournament supposed to kick start interest in Rugby U again in Oz.


Joe S can't take his time to build. He needs results in November. He has to focus on the art of winning tight matches. That's the only way now. Be one of the best at winning tight macthes and be competitive enough to ensure a tight match.

He needs a team of warriors. I am not talking a team of hulks. But warriors who know how to win battles.

O
OJohn 143 days ago

If you refuse to put Australia's best team on the field, yes it is going to sabotage the Wallabies chances.

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Spew_81 3 hours ago
'He wants players to be able to play four positions': Former All Black critiques Robertson's strategy

I have the selection opinion of ‘chuck them in the deep end, see if they swim’. Starting Mo’unga in the third test, in a series they had already won, would’ve been a perfect opportunity.


I also made it clear I would’ve kept Cruden in the mix, up until the end of RWC 2019. As he was a game manager. He isn’t Mo’unga which disproves your statement: “or should I say anyone not Mo’unga”. I would’ve had Mo’unga in the wider training group and in the end of year tours. At 10 I would’ve had: Cruden, B Barrett, and McKenzie (as McKenzie can cover: 9, 10, 14, and 15); but as Cruden was out of favour and departed, I would’ve had Mo’unga, B Barrett, and McKenzie as the 10 hierarchy; as Mo’unga is a game manager.


McKenzie had to have made his intentions clear that he wanted to transfer to 10 at least as far back as 2018. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have played at 10 for the Chiefs in 2018. The Chiefs had other options at 10. Why play someone out of position in Super Rugby, when they didn’t have to - unless McKenzie wanted to be the All Blacks 10 after B Barrett left? McKenzie played 10 in high school and never hid the fact that he wanted to have a shot at 10 and the highest level (nothing wrong with that). Also, McKenzie played 10 for the Maori All Blacks earlier in 2017:


[January 18, 2018] “It [10] has been a position I've always played and in the last few years I've played at 15, but now there is the opportunity to play at 10 and its one I'm looking forward too.


Damian McKenzie targets first-five role for Chiefs ahead of Super Rugby season | Stuff


Hansen seemed to think that McKenzie was a valid option at 10: “In World Cup squads, versatility is king. McKenzie's Test career has been at fullback; next year at the Chiefs he will be their first-choice fly-half”.


'When you're afraid you start second guessing yourself' - The Damian McKenzie All Blacks Interview - ESPN


It makes sense that Hansen and Foster’s logic was that McKenzie would follow the same path as B Barrett did to the 10 jersey for the All Blacks; from 15 to 10.


Why would McKenzie move positions from 15 to 10 at Super Rugby level, if he didn’t want to play 10 for the All Blacks? Just to be a better ‘dual playmaker’? He clearly wanted the All Blacks 10 jersey (nothing wrong with that). Hansen wanted a dual playmaker system, that’s why he wanted two 10’s that could play 15. It removes the need for a 10 on the bench (Cruden or Mo’unga) that’s why Hansen didn’t give Cruden a real shot at reclaiming the 10 jersey, and why he didn’t develop Mo’unga - until McKenzie got injured out of RWC 2019. This all fits the established narrative. Hansen could’ve had Mo’unga at 10 and B Barrett at 15 and had two pivots with different styles.


I brought it up as I it shows that Hansen and Foster would rather have a second 10, that played like the incumbent 10, instead of a game manager at 10. That was one of my main points. I’m saying that was the reason why Mo’unga wasn’t given a proper chance to develop into the international 10 he could’ve been.


All I’ve said is that I don’t think Hansen and Foster made the best choice, in hindsight. One of each type of 10 would’ve offered more options, making the job harder for opposition defense coaches. But without the benefit of parallel universes, where all the alternative ideas could play out, no one will really know.


I believe what the information shows, and what seems to be plausible, based on that information. There can be many, sometimes contradictory, conclusions that can be drawn from the same information. Without reading the minds of all involved we can just speculate based of the information that we have.


I brought those facts up to as I believe that both Hansen and Foster didn’t really want Mo’unga at 10 and only used him at 10 when they ran out of other ideas (which they both did). Foster and Hansen would’ve had long term planning discussions while Hansen was the main coach and Foster was the assistant. The next 10, after B Barrett would’ve been discussed during the 2016-2019 cycle as B Barrett (while very good) didn’t have the ability to consistently manage the really tight games (I’m not sure any 10, even Carter, could do it alone against the developed rush defenses that are common now). Also, as with any long term planning, they would’ve been thinking about B Barrett’s eventual replacement. They seemed to want another player who played like B Barrett.


Hansen and Foster seemed to be grooming McKenzie as the replacement 10. No wonder Mo’unga chose not to die for the team, and made sure he would be set for life by the time RWC 2027 comes around.


I have shown my reasoning and the information that led to those conclusions. If you have contrary information, post it, I’d be interested to see it. I’m happy to change my mind. I am very interested to discuss this type of thing, especially when someone has different views. It makes the discussion more interesting. I am happy to agree to disagree on this. You make some good comments, I’m sure we will sometimes agree and sometimes disagree in future :)


[Bonus Comment] Also, here’s an idea that is a bit left field that you can sink your teeth into. McKenzie should’ve made his primary position as a 9, covering: 10, 14, and 15 (McKenzie has been seen as valid 9 cover, he played 9 when Perenara got sin binned in Wellington, vs France in 2018). Start Aaron Smith and have Mo’unga at 10 and Barrett at 15; bring on McKenzie with 20 minutes to go. Three playmakers. That would’ve been a nightmare for defense coaches to defend against. Imagine A Savea taking the ball off the back of a mid-field scrum on the 22, with those three options to offload to. You can’t rush all three players. That is the way to beat a rush defense, create too many options to cover; but you need a 10 who is a game manager that can take advantage of the options.

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