'People were worried': How Joe Schmidt saved Lions tour
The British and Irish Lions are set for the toughest test of their tour yet when they take on Australia's top Super side, the ACT Brumbies, in Canberra on Wednesday night.
Having blown the Queensland Reds and Western Force out of the water before a tussle with the NSW Waratahs, the Brumbies - albeit undermanned - are expected to challenge the tourists.
It's a stark change from 18 months ago, when the hapless Wallabies were at rock bottom after their earliest exit from a World Cup and the messy resignation of coach Eddie Jones.
While the Wallabies are by no means favourites to win the three-Test series, New Zealand-born Schmidt has righted the ship and brought belief back to the side.
They have suffered a huge blow with the loss of first-choice flyhalf Noah Lolesio following surgery but Schmidt has backed other playmakers Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson.
Although they remain a lowly eighth in the world rankings, the Wallabies showed promise in last year's tour of the British Isles, beating England and Wales and falling narrowly to Ireland.
Sexton was not surprised Schmidt managed to draw the best out of the Wallabies after guiding his Irish side to the top of the rankings in a stellar stint from 2013 to 2019.
"He's a smart guy. Obviously, I've got a great relationship with him. But he's doing a great job with Australia, I think," said Lions assistant coach Sexton.
"You know, 18 months ago, people were worried about this tour, and now it's all to play for. It's fantastic for the series."
Lions head coach Andy Farrell also knows Schmidt's coaching style inside out, having served as his assistant in the Ireland set-up from 2016 to 2019.
"They got on great off the pitch, you know, they were bouncing off each other; good cop, bad cop," Sexton said.
"They dovetailed well. Joe was always the bad cop. Andy was sometimes good, sometimes bad, but they were brilliant together.
"They knew how to push the buttons of that team, in particular. You could tell that they were in it together.
"And I'd say Andy learned a lot from Joe, but then at the same time, he's come in and he's changed a lot, evolved things.
"And that's always what you want, isn't it? Because if you went and tried to imitate Joe, people would see through."
With Wallabies great Stephen Larkham at the helm, a torrid Brumbies test awaits before the coaching trio's reunion.
Near-freezing temperatures and dewy conditions are expected on Wednesday night, with the Brumbies likely to use their strong line speed to make it hard for the Lions on the ball, Sexton said.
"They're a very good team, probably the best Australian franchise," he said. "They've put in a lot of good performances against us in the past, and we expect no different tomorrow."
The Brumbies are the only Australian Super Rugby team to have beaten the Lions, overcoming a Sexton-less side 14-12 in 2013.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
In-form Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood set to make early exit from West Indies tour
Star Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will reportedly leave the West Indies early after it was expected he would play in the Twenty20 series. The Aussies have one more Test to play against the hosts with that match kicking off on July 13 at Sabina Park in Kingston. Following the conclusion of that Test, the T20 Internationals will then start at the same venue on July 21. The 34-year-old Hazlewood is keen to play white-ball cricket and was named in the 16-man squad for the T20 series against the Windies. But it has now been reported that that won't happen as Australia begin to manage the in-form bowler's workload. The pink-ball Test in Kingston will be Australia's last before the Ashes begins in Perth on November 21. But before then Australia will take on South Africa, then New Zealand and then India in a mix of T20 and One-Day International games. Fellow veteran bowlers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will also be rested for the T20s against the West Indies and so will star batter (and three-format player) Travis Head. Hazlewood was the star of the first Test against the West Indies, blowing them away with a five-wicket haul in the second innings. It was his 13th Test 'five-fer' and he is now eight wickets shy of 300 Test wickets. He is expected to play in the T20 clash with South Africa when that series begins at Marrara Stadium in Darwin on August 10. Hazlewood missed half of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in the summer after suffering a calf injury, and his recovery was slow. The veteran quick then battled a shoulder niggle that at one stage threatened to rule him out of returning to the IPL, before eventually being cleared. He did not play in the Tests against Sri Lanka and there were concerns that he might miss the ICC World Test Championship match in June (he did however manage to get himself up for the match against South Africa). Exciting Queensland paceman Xavier Bartlett has been tipped to come in for Hazlewood despite not being named in the original T20 squad. 'There are a number of players outside the squad who can still force their way into the mix,' chief selector George Bailey said last month. 'The connection, role development and combinations we will have as options are growing nicely as we build towards the World Cup.' Mitch Marsh will again captain Australia in the T20 series and rising Tasmanian batter Mitch Owen is expected to debut. 'I think if I played a sport where there was only one format, I'd be sort of thinking towards the end right now, but I think having the three formats, it just sort of keeps refreshing you time after time, and different challenges, and the game moves along at different paces in different formats, and things change and keeps you guessing,' Hazlewood told News Corp. 'It's just about not necessarily retiring from a format. It's just managing those different formats. And there's obviously bigger series than others in different formats.'
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Olympic karate dream fuels Mandana's new life in Australia
A dream of representing her adopted country Australia in karate fuels Maitland school girl Mandana Sadeghi's transition into her new life after emigrating from Iran last year. A junior black belt in karate, Mandana's martial arts skills outstrip her English skills for now. But possessing a fierce determination, the 13-year-old, who attends Maitland Christian School, uses every opportunity to improve her English. Not that it prevents her from being a favourite among instructors and classmates at Guys Karate School where she trains each week. Mandana's father Nader came to Australia when Mandana was just six months old, leaving his daughter and wife Maryam in Iran, while he tried to forge a better life and opportunities for them in Australia. The barber, who works at the Rutherford Shopping Centre, became an Australian citizen and worked tirelessly sending money home and building up his savings to finally bring out his family last year. "I hadn't seen my my wife or my daughter in all that time. It's a blessing to have them here with me now," he said. In her typically determined fashion, Mandana wrote prepared answer prior to the interview, spending 12 hours on the project to ensure it met her exacting standards. "I have a strong passion for karate, rap, and dancing. Becoming a heart surgeon is also one of my biggest dreams," Mandana said. "When I was a child, my father migrated to Australia, and it took 13 years until I was finally able to join him. "Since I was little, I have had a lot of energy. When I was in third grade, one day it suddenly came to my mind ... I wanted to join a karate class. "My best friend Adrina has already been doing karate for many years." Mandana's mother contacted her friend's mother about classes and Mandana enrolled a couple of days later. "The Sensai there tested me, and I passed. I started from zero, and every day I became more passionate about karate and worked harder," Mandans said. "My Sensai gave me the nickname 'Wild Cat' because I was very good at fighting and always tried my best. "I love my Sensai very much, and he helped me a lot. "Also, the Shihan (Lindsay Guy) in my karate class in Australia has supported me greatly and I am grateful to him too. "I earned my black belt in Iran, and since then karate has been a big part of my life. "Even through all the hardships in Iran, I never forgot karate. I never gave up on it. "Some people may have laughed at me or underestimated me. But I never gave up." Mandana lives by her own sage mantra. "My only real competitor is the version of myself from yesterday," she said. "Every day, I must be better than before and keep growing. "With faith and effort, I will become a champion and make the country I now live in - Australia - proud." A dream of representing her adopted country Australia in karate fuels Maitland school girl Mandana Sadeghi's transition into her new life after emigrating from Iran last year. A junior black belt in karate, Mandana's martial arts skills outstrip her English skills for now. But possessing a fierce determination, the 13-year-old, who attends Maitland Christian School, uses every opportunity to improve her English. Not that it prevents her from being a favourite among instructors and classmates at Guys Karate School where she trains each week. Mandana's father Nader came to Australia when Mandana was just six months old, leaving his daughter and wife Maryam in Iran, while he tried to forge a better life and opportunities for them in Australia. The barber, who works at the Rutherford Shopping Centre, became an Australian citizen and worked tirelessly sending money home and building up his savings to finally bring out his family last year. "I hadn't seen my my wife or my daughter in all that time. It's a blessing to have them here with me now," he said. In her typically determined fashion, Mandana wrote prepared answer prior to the interview, spending 12 hours on the project to ensure it met her exacting standards. "I have a strong passion for karate, rap, and dancing. Becoming a heart surgeon is also one of my biggest dreams," Mandana said. "When I was a child, my father migrated to Australia, and it took 13 years until I was finally able to join him. "Since I was little, I have had a lot of energy. When I was in third grade, one day it suddenly came to my mind ... I wanted to join a karate class. "My best friend Adrina has already been doing karate for many years." Mandana's mother contacted her friend's mother about classes and Mandana enrolled a couple of days later. "The Sensai there tested me, and I passed. I started from zero, and every day I became more passionate about karate and worked harder," Mandans said. "My Sensai gave me the nickname 'Wild Cat' because I was very good at fighting and always tried my best. "I love my Sensai very much, and he helped me a lot. "Also, the Shihan (Lindsay Guy) in my karate class in Australia has supported me greatly and I am grateful to him too. "I earned my black belt in Iran, and since then karate has been a big part of my life. "Even through all the hardships in Iran, I never forgot karate. I never gave up on it. "Some people may have laughed at me or underestimated me. But I never gave up." Mandana lives by her own sage mantra. "My only real competitor is the version of myself from yesterday," she said. "Every day, I must be better than before and keep growing. "With faith and effort, I will become a champion and make the country I now live in - Australia - proud." A dream of representing her adopted country Australia in karate fuels Maitland school girl Mandana Sadeghi's transition into her new life after emigrating from Iran last year. A junior black belt in karate, Mandana's martial arts skills outstrip her English skills for now. But possessing a fierce determination, the 13-year-old, who attends Maitland Christian School, uses every opportunity to improve her English. Not that it prevents her from being a favourite among instructors and classmates at Guys Karate School where she trains each week. Mandana's father Nader came to Australia when Mandana was just six months old, leaving his daughter and wife Maryam in Iran, while he tried to forge a better life and opportunities for them in Australia. The barber, who works at the Rutherford Shopping Centre, became an Australian citizen and worked tirelessly sending money home and building up his savings to finally bring out his family last year. "I hadn't seen my my wife or my daughter in all that time. It's a blessing to have them here with me now," he said. In her typically determined fashion, Mandana wrote prepared answer prior to the interview, spending 12 hours on the project to ensure it met her exacting standards. "I have a strong passion for karate, rap, and dancing. Becoming a heart surgeon is also one of my biggest dreams," Mandana said. "When I was a child, my father migrated to Australia, and it took 13 years until I was finally able to join him. "Since I was little, I have had a lot of energy. When I was in third grade, one day it suddenly came to my mind ... I wanted to join a karate class. "My best friend Adrina has already been doing karate for many years." Mandana's mother contacted her friend's mother about classes and Mandana enrolled a couple of days later. "The Sensai there tested me, and I passed. I started from zero, and every day I became more passionate about karate and worked harder," Mandans said. "My Sensai gave me the nickname 'Wild Cat' because I was very good at fighting and always tried my best. "I love my Sensai very much, and he helped me a lot. "Also, the Shihan (Lindsay Guy) in my karate class in Australia has supported me greatly and I am grateful to him too. "I earned my black belt in Iran, and since then karate has been a big part of my life. "Even through all the hardships in Iran, I never forgot karate. I never gave up on it. "Some people may have laughed at me or underestimated me. But I never gave up." Mandana lives by her own sage mantra. "My only real competitor is the version of myself from yesterday," she said. "Every day, I must be better than before and keep growing. "With faith and effort, I will become a champion and make the country I now live in - Australia - proud."
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aussies puts Italy on verge of World Cup
Former Australian opener Joe Burns labelled it 'surreal' after leading Italy to within touching distance of a first-ever spot in the T20 World Cup after taking down Scotland. Burns and his plucky Azzurri outfit need a victory over the Netherlands in their final match on Friday at the at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final to secure in a first-ever start in the tournament. Even a narrow loss could see them qualify should neither Jersey or Scotland win their contest by a big margin. Burns, who played 23 Tests for Australia before switching allegiances and starting a new journey with Italy, was stunned after his team toppled Scotland, an outfit Australia played against late last year with a 12-run win at The Hague. 'I am really proud of the boys for this moment,' Burns said. Australian spinner Ben Manenti has helped put Italy on track for a T20 World Cup spot. Credit: Supplied 'To come and beat Scotland, who are a fantastic team, is a nice reward for sacrifices our players, staff and federation have made. 'Hopefully this is the stepping stone for a lot to come. It's a very emotional group at the moment. Being on the verge of a World Cup? It's very surreal.' Burns only made eight in his team's total of 6-167. But a bowling outfit including South Australian spinner Ben Manenti and his brother Harry, who took all five Scottish wickets, limited their opponents to 5-155 to lock in the stunning victory The Italians final match in Voorburg is the last of the tournament, ensuring they will know exactly what's needed to secure a maiden T20 World Cup spot. Next year's T20 World Cup will be played in India.
