Wily Schmidt has kept the Wallabies on an upward trajectory

The 42

4 days ago

OF COURSE JOE Schmidt had a plan for the lightning break.
While the Lions were chilling out on bean bags and checking their phones, the Wallabies had a precise plan to keep their heads in the game.
The forecast had suggested there could be lightning during the game, so Schmidt had a routine ready to go.
They wanted to keep their players moving, so there were exercise bikes in the changing room, with players rotating on and off them. There were rugby balls at hand, meaning the Wallabies could throw them around and 'stay connected,' in Schmidt's words.
There were mini-meetings, with forwards coach Geoff Parling and the other assistants using video footage to discuss specific areas of the game with the players.
The Wallabies knew they would be kicking to touch when the game got going again, so they chatted about their plan for the next lineout play, although Schmidt pointed out with a wry smile that it didn't work.
Once notice was given that the game would soon be back underway, the Aussies were out of the changing room to warm up, five minutes before the Lions re-emerged. Andy Farrell later said that was the Lions' decision based on the advice of their S&C team, but it was hard not to see it all as the Wallabies being a step ahead of their visitors.
That was the overall story of the night as Schmidt's men made a fast start in the third Test and stayed ahead of the Lions all the way through this time.
The disappointment of losing this home series will remain for the Wallabies, but they restored some pride last night in Sydney. This was the first time we heard their fans singing Waltzing Matilda, a sure sign the supporters were feeling that pride.
In a chaotic game featuring lots of injury carnage and a non-decision going against them when Dan Sheehan seemingly escaped a card for his hit on Tom Lynagh, the Wallabies were more composed, more physical, and more accurate than the Lions.
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The Wallabies celebrate at Accor Stadium. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
'That's the longest Test match I've ever been involved in with the big hiatus in the 43rd minute,' said Schmidt afterwards.
'But I couldn't be a lot prouder of the way the players rebounded off the last week of that feeling of disappointment that they had. It was deep.
'You almost had to let them feel it and then springboard back.'
The Wallabies were excellent for a large part of the second Test, only giving up the lead at the death when Hugo Keenan scored the series-clinching try for the Lions in Melbourne.
A big regret will be how long it took the Wallabies to get firing in the first Test. There's no doubt the Aussies were restricted by the brilliance of Farrell's men in the opening 45 minutes of that game in Brisbane, but Schmidt's side took too long to get to the pitch.
It's hard not to wonder what might have happened had the Wallabies had more than one game before the Lions Test series. They have a heavy schedule ahead now with the Rugby Championship and then a tour to the Northern Hemisphere in the autumn.
Yet you sensed that Schmidt could understand when he was asked if the Wallabies needed one more match before taking on the Lions.
'It just is what it is,' said Schmidt. 'I'm not great at looking back and having regrets. I'm just trying to plan a way forward.
'With the Super Rugby finishing when it did, even then we didn't get the Brumbies back until quite late before we played that Fijian game.
'So yeah, maybe. I'm not really going to look back at maybes. I'm just going to try to take a breath probably and then think about what's next in the Rugby Championship.'
While it's easy to question some of Schmidt's selections across this Lions series, going without his best player, Rob Valetini, for all but 40 minutes of the three Tests was crippling. Other key players were injured too.
The Wallabies restored pride last night. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
There is still lots of work to do, but Schmidt has lifted the Wallabies out of their lowest ebb following the disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign under Eddie Jones.
The Aussies had some encouraging performances in last year's Rugby Championship, then beat England and Wales on their autumn tour, as well as running Ireland very close. There have been disappointments along the way like a hammering at the hands of Argentina and a loss to Scotland, but the improvement has been clear.
The Wallabies were disrespected before and during this Lions tour but they have shown that they remain on an upward trajectory. For the many obvious challenges facing Aussie rugby, there is still lots of talent, athleticism, and promise in their game.
It has helped hugely to have a wily coach like Schmidt in charge of a clever coaching ticket. Forwards coach Geoff Parling will be a loss as he joins Leicester Tigers, but former All Black Tom Donnelly is coming in to replace him.
Schmidt is in the final year of his tenure as the head coach, having agreed to extend his deal until Les Kiss takes over following the Wallabies' games in the Nations Cup in July 2026.
Given the Wallabies' growth under him, many would love to see Schmidt staying on but he said it was important for him to be around his family more, with his son, Luke, suffering from severe epilepsy.
'I actually apologised to the players a little while ago, I bit one of their heads off when my son had had a bad day,' said Schmidt.
'I can normally separate the two things, but it does impact me when he's had a bad day and so I know that I have a short enough shelf life and need to be more present at home.
'I haven't been home for two months, so as much as I just think they're a great group of young men, there's other things that I need to make sure I tick off.'