20-05-2025
Australia boss Joe Schmidt breaks his silence on Lions squad announcement before issuing rallying cry to home fans
WALLABY boss Joe Schmidt has weighed in on the 2025 Lions squad announcement.
The former Ireland boss was speaking on
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Australia boss Joe Schmidt weighed in on the Lions Squad before issuing a rallying cry to his fans
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Joe Schmidt also reckons Andy Farrell's side may use international combinations for his starting XV test side
Schmidt will
But the ex-
But he will officially then quit the Australia job to care for his son Luke, who battles severe Epilepsy.
It means a new head coach will take charge for the end-of-year tour and lead the team into the World Cup on home soil.
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But ahead of the summer tour, Schmidt thinks
'Some of those combinations could be dangerous — especially if they go with an all-Irish front row to start.
"Andrew Furlong with Tadhg Furlong, and Dan Sheehan in the middle of them, and you've got Luke Cowan-Dickie or Ronan Kelleher to come off the bench for them.
"It could be an all-English front row to come on a replace them, Ellis Genge."
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When further quizzed about how he reckons how Farrell will select his starting XV in the test games, Schmidt added that it's a realistic possibility that the Ireland boss may stick with international combinations instead of chopping an changing.
Schmidt added: "Potentially, especially if you're trying to fast-track things.
"But at the same time they have a nice run in of those half-dozen game [The build up tour games]. Argentina and the games before the first test to test those combinations, if they want to tinker with a few things.
The Aussie boss went on to issue a rally cry to their fans ahead of the upcoming series after being asked about the home side's supporters.
He concluded: "We love that support that's built, even being at The Warriors game on Sunday - people coming up to us and saying, 'we''re 100% behind you.
"It does give confidence to players, and a the same time the players are going to have to earn whatever you get from the crowd.
"We're very conscious of that, those moments that matter, you earn it back behind the training fence. You earn it working on your cohesion and getting your performance habits as positively honed as you can.
"What I'd say, 'bring your confidence and your voice, and we'll bring our energy and effort to try and keep you entertained, and also that we can be as competitive as we need to be."
