In the grand scheme of things, it was a simple little social media video. Taken from a longer post-match interview with Joe Schmidt after the Wallabies beat Wales 36-28 in Melbourne on Saturday, the two-minute clip shared by Australian broadcaster Stan Sport said so much about the New Zealander’s coaching philosophy.
“I’m relieved. I’ll definitely say I’m relieved. But, boy, we’re going to have to be a lot better than that,” Schmidt said at the start of a chat with host Nick McArdle and former Wallabies captain-turned-insightful pundit Michael Hooper.
After volunteering praise for two-try left winger Filipo Daugunu, Schmidt elaborated on what so impressed him about the now-former Melbourne Rebels flyer.
“Filipo had to come from a long way away to get in support of him,” he said of Daugunu’s appearance on the outside of Fraser McReight, to finish off the back-rower’s line break for the Wallabies’ stunning first try.
“That work-rate off the ball was outstanding, because he did the same thing getting the try in the second half.”
Hooper asked Schmidt if a try like Daugunu’s first frustrated him as a coach, inferring that because they’d turned a potentially dangerous situation on their own tryline into seven points at the other end of the field, they might not learn the lesson of an almost-costly mistake.
“No, no, I’m never frustrated, Hoops,” he said with a knowing coach’s laugh. “I’m delighted, I’m just still trying to work out how.”
Invited to re-watch a reply of the Daugunu try, Schmidt fell back into old schoolteacher mode, explaining and confirming what everyone had seen, and how the situation turned from dangerous to glorious in seconds.
After a wayward Noah Lolesio infield pass bounced and threatened to get away from Tom Wright, the star full-back tried to stand up a couple of Welsh defenders and flung a pass to lock Jeremy Williams.
“I mean Tommy Wright is in trouble there,” Schmidt begins.
Williams had to turn back toward the Australian line – only a few metres away – to take the pass, but that allowed him to then get a pass to winger Andrew Kellaway.
“Then a great step from ‘Kells’, but he sees that little bit of space in behind and to tip it back to Fraser, that’s clever stuff,” Schmidt says of Kellaway’s initial swerve past the onrushing Wales No.8 Taine Plumtree, chip, chase and infield bat-on to put McReight into space.
“And you see where Filipo comes from. He’s come from so deep. What a great finish. And that breaks the hearts of your opponents a little bit.”
Where in the not-too-distant past Australia might have been inclined to try and kick out of that situation, even with a risky kick that might not have gained them much ground at all, here was Schmidt’s Wallabies finding opportunities in a situation quickly going south, but then – and this is what really pleased him – getting themselves in position to support the ball and keeping it moving upfield.
He was full of praise for Daugunu, but McReight’s work in this play can’t be understated, either.
When the ball bounced in front of, and then quickly away from Wright, McReight and Williams were both back near the Australian 22. Both tracked back quickly, probably to try and get in position to clean out and buy time for more arriving players to play away from the resulting ruck.
But when Wright found Williams, McReight readjusted his position, away from Wright, and stayed inside Williams as Kellaway began his run. As Kellaway jinked back inside before finding a bit of space and ultimately kicking ahead, McReight was already looking downfield to where the empty space was. The only Australian player behind them at this point was Daugunu.
Kellaway’s kick bounced high outside the Wallabies’ 22, creating an aerial contest with Wales full-back Cameron Winnett. Knowing McReight was there with him, Kellaway won the jump and tapped the ball straight on to put McReight away.
Jeremy Williams was rapidly running out of pace to keep up with the flanker and was overtaken by Charlie Cale. Daugunu was now looming on the outside too, timing his run to be in range for a pass as Welsh winger Rio Dyer made contact with McReight, before running away to score the first of his two remarkable tries in the match.
Of course, Daugunu would somehow top this by chasing Lolesio’s penalty kick for touch downfield, and anticipating Liam Williams would try and bat the ball back into play – a law allowance I hate – was on the spot beautifully for the ball to bounce perfectly for him to run away and score at the opposite end of AAMI Park.
But the work off the ball for the first try, from Williams and McReight to get back for Wright and Kellaway, from Cale in providing another support option for McReight, and eventually Daugunu, who just timed everything superbly, was super impressive, and it’s no wonder the coach was thrilled. This has been his whole thing since he first put on a Wallabies tracksuit.
His first squad selection was dripping with high work-rate players, and so many of them have repaid the faith already. Williams was really impressive carrying and in defence last week in Sydney, and was better again in Melbourne. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto erred giving away a yellow card for high contact but made up for that with two metres from each of his seven carries in the tight and made 14 of 15 tackles. Only McReight made more.
They’re all what have now been dubbed ‘Schmidt players’. Guys who can do a defined job very well with no huge fanfare, but are also wired to find the extra effort required to get themselves in position to help out a team-mate.
Rob Valetini was enormous yet again, making more than four metres on average from 12 carries, and with some seriously bruising defence that did much more than just rattle Welsh rib cages. McReight, for the second week in a row, put in the kind of performance that has left Queenslanders rueing the existence of Michael Hooper for years.
They’re all what have now been dubbed ‘Schmidt players’. Guys who can do a defined job very well with no huge fanfare, but are also wired to find the extra effort required to get themselves in position to help out a team-mate.
But Schmidt knows – and the Wallabies players know – that work rate alone doesn’t make them world-beaters. Indeed, a lower-ranked, rebuilding Welsh side has come back at the Wallabies in successive weeks.
“We were made to work by a group who were desperate,” Schmidt said afterwards. “The margins aren’t massive in international rugby, and when you’ve got a team desperate, on the back of a losing streak, they really rolled their sleeves up. So there are things that will be evident to everyone that we need to do better.”
Equally though, Schmidt also knows the importance of this James Bevan Cup series win for the Wallabies after last year’s Rugby World Cup debacle, and just as importantly, what it means for Australian fans still hurting just as much.
“I’m just relieved that we got a couple of results, because it will help build some belief in the players, and I’m also delighted with the group of men who are really trying to commit to what we’re trying to achieve,” the coach said.
As well as belief, it will also enhance confidence levels, and with Georgia arriving this week after a well-earned win over the Brave Blossoms in Osaka, it will lift motivation as they knuckle down to prepare for their third and final July international.
There are still plenty of things to iron out. The Wallabies only conceded eight penalties in Melbourne and discipline was generally pretty good, but some of their final options will come under the microscope. Twice, the Wallabies scuttled 20-plus phases of possession on the Welsh line that really should have ended with tries.
With a Rugby Championship campaign now less than a month away, the Wallabies still have to gear themselves up for whatever New Zealand, Argentina and world champions South Africa throw at them.
“There were a couple of times in the first half, where we got very close to scoring and got turned over, which was really disappointing because if we could have kept the pressure on and maybe scored those, you just chip away a little bit at the confidence of our opponents,” Schmidt noted.
“When you don’t score there and give up a turnover and they work their way downfield, I think we gave them some momentum, and we just can’t afford to do that. The good teams are better at that, and we’ve got to be better at that.”
And that’s certainly the truth.
With a Rugby Championship campaign now less than a month away, the Wallabies still have to gear themselves up for whatever New Zealand, Argentina and world champions South Africa throw at them.
But they also have the opportunity to start that campaign on the back of three straight wins. And that’s got to be easier than the alternative scenario.
I would have loved a camera on Joe’s face when Lolesio’s pass went to ground so close to the goal line only to result in a try 10-15 seconds later. I know I went from saying for ** sake!! to fist pumping after a try. The thing with those effort areas is they don’t take skill but they’re about what’s in a player’s heart.
Another win with Joe getting a good close look at some other squad members is the ideal result this weekend. A loss is going to represent 2-3 steps backwards at a time when winning has to become a habit.
Nice article, Brett, and good to be writing about a second win.
I think Georgia will be far more testing. Tbh, I have not looked at their touring squad, but at full strength they are a far better and more dangerous team than they were at RWC France. They would have been disappointed they did not perform to full potential there.
I think that the WB’s under Joe Schmidt have started soundly. Recovery from a serious setback always takes time. And the Jones era was that and more. I think the arrival of Les Kiss back to his native Qld. is a very positive factor, and the fact that he and Schmidt know each other well is a help.
Players I think are much improved this year: Daugunu, who has blossomed with the Rebels, so credit to the coaching unit down there. Am pleased he will come back to the Reds.
McReight is said to have put on up to 7 kgs since last season. His work rate has always been good, but it is his carrying into contact that has gone up. Now makes those critical one or two metres post contact very often. Is conceding fewer penalties now as his game matures.
Rob Valetini was good last year, but is now a greater force this one. A really punishing ball carrier.
Hunter Paisami is now a more controlled player. His carrying into contact is very impressive for an 80 kg man. Interestingly, if you saw Nick Bishops latest article, he has a team for RC with Kerevi at 12. Also Skelton in the team. Not sure if there will be o’seas players as early as RC though….but need them in by the EYOT games.
Big ups to the RP team for the headline image they’ve created here - it's absolutely perfect in capturing so many of the players I mention and in their roles in the try.
Well done, team…
Nice one Brett. The first daugunu try reminds me of Foketis try vs france in 2022. A bumble on the tryline under pressure, a few passes later and some good support work from campbell and foketi in that instance doing the trick. In game 1, tries were scored from different platforms, in game 2 they were all ‘chance’ tries, nothing from set plays - Schmidt won’t like this. Re the ~20 phase passages, I think its encouraging that the wallabies could keep the ball for this long, this was something they struggled to do under rennie. But, the fact is it wouldn’t take a top 4 team 20 phases to score in those instances. Noah did more cleanouts in those passages of play (one very good one in the leadup to Allan’s try) then he had runs/passes. This also happened under rennie at times where noah and JOC both weren’t getting enough touches. im not sure if its a coaching directive or what, but something different needs to happen in those passages of play. I think the ruck is too slow and the D is set and so the 10 doesn’t want it because they’ll get eaten up by the rush d, but they also need to pick a different option such that they get that gainline carry and quick ball… Maybe they need to look to ireland/the reds and their short passes etc within the forward pods.