Wallabies will not ‘wallow in self-pity' after crushing loss
Schmidt's men led for 79 minutes in Melbourne on Saturday and thought they had done enough to bank a sensational win and level the three-Test series. But Hugo Keenan's try at the death for a 29-26 victory left them shattered and fuming. Schmidt was adamant the try should not have stood, pointing to a high clean-out in the lead up by Jac Morgan on Carlo Tizzano. But their protests were waved away by Italian referee Andrea Piardi.
Schmidt said contact was made above the shoulders, which made it illegal. 'Our perspective is, we felt it was a decision that doesn't really live up to the big player safety push that they're talking about,' he said. 'So that's what we've seen, and we've watched a number of replays from different angles, and so it is what it is. We just have to accept it.'
In contrast, Lions coach Andy Farrell saw nothing wrong with the incident. 'I thought it was a brilliant cleanout,' he insisted. Despite Schmidt's obvious frustration at seeing victory snatched from their grasp, he knows he must now lift the team for the third and final Test in Sydney next weekend.
It is a dead-rubber, but pride is at stake for his young side who were a level up in Melbourne from their passive performance at the first Test in Brisbane. 'I've told the team how proud I am of them. This group is growing. To stand up and deliver what they did against some of the world's best players, I was just immensely proud,' said Schmidt.
'They were broken at the end, but one of the things you've got to do is keep resolve and keep going forward. 'We can't, and we won't, wallow in self-pity because we didn't get the result. 'It's a blow in the short-term, but you can't get more motivated than what the players demonstrated here,' he added.
'I always felt we had the game to challenge them, and we showed that. I think their experience allowed them to stay in the contest and execute their plan.' Schmidt was installed to restore Australia's reputation after they slumped to 10th in the world following a horror 2023 World Cup under Eddie Jones.
His results have been a mixed bag so far, and he said it remained a work in progress. 'We're trying to build consistency and a brand of rugby we enjoy playing,' he said. 'We're learning.'
Australia hired former All Blacks lock Tom Donnelly Sunday as an assistant to head coach Joe Schmidt for the upcoming Rugby Championship. The 43-year-old replaces England's Geoff Parling who is leaving his Wallabies job after the British and Irish Lions tour to become Leicester Tigers' coach.
'Watching from afar, the journey the team is on and the improvement they are making is exciting,' said Donnelly, who worked with Super Rugby side Western Force last season. 'I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and doing my part to continue the ongoing growth of the team.'
Donnelly played 15 Tests for New Zealand and nearly 100 Super Rugby games, along with three seasons in the France's Top 14, before transitioning to coaching. The Wallabies get their Rugby Championship underway against South Africa in Johannesburg on August 16. — AFP
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