Joe Schmidt hits back at Lions in row over releasing Australia stars

Times

6 hours ago

The Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has hit back at the British & Irish Lions after they criticised his decision not to release more Wallabies for the touring side's provincial matches.
On Monday, the chief executive of the Lions, Ben Calveley, said that Schmidt was in danger of breaching the tour agreement if he held his international players back to protect them from injury before the Test series. Schmidt, however, insisted he had read the tour agreement and that it reinforced his position.
Before the Test series begins on July 19, the Lions face Western Force (Saturday), Queensland Reds (Wednesday, July 2), the Waratahs (Saturday, July 5), the Brumbies (Wednesday, July 9) and a combined Australia and New Zealand XV (Saturday, July 12).
Schmidt has already released five of his squad to play for Western Force against the Lions on Saturday at the Optus Stadium in Perth — Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White — but is not planning to send any more of his squad back to their respective club sides. The Lions are concerned this could hamper their preparation to beat Australia.
'The agreement is very clear; it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation,' Calveley said. 'We'll see a competitive fixture at the weekend, and that's what we're looking for. We want to make sure our guys are battle hardened when it comes to that Test series against the Wallabies.
'We'll play the game at the weekend, and will carry on having discussions with [Rugby Australia chief executive] Phil Waugh and their executive team and will take that step by step. We are encouraged that we'll see a strong side competing at the Optus [Stadium]. We're clear that in the agreement it says that Test players do have to be released. We'll move into the game at the weekend, and what comes after that we'll deal with in time.'
Schmidt, however, disagreed. 'There's some serious plate spinning at the moment, trying to get ready,' Schmidt told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'The ambition is there'll be some going back to the Reds, and some going back to the Waratahs. But in reality, the Lions have got their squad. Are they going to play their best team every week? That's unlikely.
'So are we going to play all the same players every week? I'm not sure whether [the head coach] Andy [Farrell] was part of that discussion or whether it was just coming from the CEO, but I've read the tour agreement and it's having the best intention to have the highest-quality players available and playing. It's not as specific as saying every Wallaby from a state or a club has to be available to play every game that the Lions come through on.'
Four years ago in South Africa, the Springboks could not play for their franchise teams because the tour took place during the Covid pandemic, so no movement was allowed between squads. In New Zealand in 2017, All Blacks such as Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Sam Whitelock and Codie Taylor played in the tour games against the Lions.
Realistically Schmidt could release his Wallabies for the Queensland Reds match next Wednesday in Brisbane, and the ACT Brumbies midweek game on July 9. As Australia play Fiji on July 6, the day after the Lions face the NSW Waratahs, there is no chance that the likes of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Angus Bell would play for their club side in that Sydney match.
Calveley wants to ensure that every Lions game during the tour is competitive
PAUL KANE/GETTY IMAGES
Calveley said that the competitiveness of the tour matches is essential for making the Lions tour work. 'It's really important that these games are competitive,' he added. 'It's not just for a performance stand-point — the players do want to test themselves and build towards the Test series — but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public. That would be their expectation as well.'
The Lions chairman, Ieuan Evans, a three-times tourist as a player in 1989, 1993 and 1997, added: 'I think what's clear is that we are an elite sporting touring team and we need to be challenged and tested in our preparations towards the Tests.'
The Lions are fully aware of their commercial and financial might these days, so are keeping an open mind for the location of their future tours. If Australia are not able to offer them a sustained challenge, they are happy to look elsewhere. The Lions are interested in playing against France, as well as Fiji, the United States and Japan, around future tours.