Joe Schmidt's impact on Wallabies raises All Blacks coaching questions
Joe Schmidt may not relish the comparison with Chairman Mao Tsedong, but since he arrived in Australia after the last World Cup, he's taken the Wallabies on a great leap forward.
In a sense, Schmidt has industrialised the Wallabies – collectivised them, too, from being disparate individuals unsure
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1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Wallabies have last laugh to prevent Lions' series shutout
The Wallabies prevented a British and Irish Lions clean sweep of its Australian tour with a rousing 22-12 win in the third rugby Test on a night of wild weather at Sydney's Olympic Stadium. Tries to wingers Dylan Pietsch, Max Jorgensen and scrumhalf Tate McDermott last night highlighted one of the finest performances by the Wallabies in recent years and came amid a wild storm that led to a near-hour pause in the game due to nearby lightning. Having secured the three-match Test series with victory in the first Tests at Brisbane and a contentious, last-gasp 29-26 win last week in Melbourne, the tourists were seeking to be the first Lions squad to record an unbeaten tour since 1974. But despite strong support among the near capacity 90,000 crowd, the Lions were never really in this one as the Wallabies won the early physical exchanges and moved the ball better throughout despite consistent rain squalls that swept across the ground regularly on a bitter cold and windy night. 'I suppose there's obviously going to be frustration there because like we've said all along that we wanted to win win every game and rightly so,' Lions coach Andy Farrell said. "But the best team won on the night. ADVERTISEMENT 'Just said to the lads that on reflection, it might take one, it might take two beers, but they'll be unbelievably proud of what they've achieved throughout this tour.' Jac Morgan scored a try with 20 minutes to go to briefly give the Lions a glimpse of another stirring comeback like it did in Melbourne, but McDermott's sniping try with just 10 minutes left sealed the hosts win. A try on the siren by Will Stuart narrowed the final margin. Despite the cold and wet conditions, emotions boiled over on several occasions in a feisty match as the Wallabies delivered a strong response after a week of reckoning that included questions from some of Australia's place in the rotation for quadrennial Lions tours that also includes World Cup champion South Africa and New Zealand. The aggression featured firebrand Australia scrumhalf Nic White, playing his last match for the Wallabies, who on several occasions was nose-to-nose with Lions forwards. The tactic appeared to help the Wallabies and certainly engaged the raucous capacity crowd as the hosts enjoyed the greater share of possession and territory throughout. Wallabies' fast start ADVERTISEMENT From a five metre scrum the Wallabies took a series of one-out runs near the posts before spinning the ball wide and Pietsch found just enough room to dive over in the corner to give Australia a fast start. Tensions bubbled over as Wallabies scrumhalf White and Lions hooker Dan Sheehan engaged in some push and shove, before Will Skelton forcefully joined the fray and the Wallabies were penalised. Tom Lynagh extended the lead in the 34th minute taking a penalty as another rain squall pelted Olympic stadium. Wallabies halfback Nic White, left, gets involved in one of several scuffles during his team's win over the British and Irish Lions. (Source: Photosport) It was Lynagh's last involvement as he was replaced by Ben Donaldson for a head injury assessment — which the 22-year-old flyhalf failed — after a high ruck clear-out by Sheehan that was missed by the match officials. The Lions, starved of territory for most of the half, came more into the game as halftime neared and looked threatening. But a huge turnover by Tom Hooper as the Lions laid siege to the Wallabies try line allowed the hosts to escape to half time with its lead intact. Lightning delay ADVERTISEMENT Shortly after halftime an already wild night reached a new level. While play had been stopped for a serious head injury to Lions lock James Ryan, a match official entered the playing arena and advised referee Nika Amashukeli to escort the players from the field. The big screen at the stadium displayed a message for spectators in rows 1 to 19 to immediately vacate their seats and seek cover on the lower concourses. After a brief warm-up, play resumed about 45 minutes later and the Wallabies almost scored immediately but Taniela Tupou dropped the ball as he hit the ground close to the Lions line. 'We had been warned that there might be lightning, so we had a little bit of a plan,' Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said. "And with that plan, we wanted to make sure that players kept moving. 'And the rest of the time, it was really just trying to get us organised for the restart of the game.' Schmidt's Lions counterpart said he had never experienced anything like it in his long rugby career. "No, I hope I'm not (to experience that) again actually," Farrell said. "Yeah, rigor mortis was setting in at one stage there for the lads, in the support anyway." ADVERTISEMENT The second try did come soon after when Jorgensen pounced on a fumble by Lions centre Bundee Aki and sprinted 50 metres to score next to the posts. Donaldson completed the simple conversion for a 15-0 lead. Morgan's try came after a period of intense pressure by the Lions pack which eventually paid dividends and narrowed the margin to 15-7. The Wallabies responded and when Lions replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher was yellow carded for offside the winning try looked inevitable and was duly delivered by McDermott. The Lions scored again as the full-time siren sounded but it was the Wallabies celebrating a morale-boosting victory. 'I couldn't be a lot prouder of the way that the players rebounded after last week after the feeling of, kind of disappointment that they had,' Schmidt said.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Lions coach Farrell says Wallabies will be a force to be reckoned with
Tate McDermott of Australia celebrates with teammates after scoring a try against the British and Irish Lions, 2025. Photo: DAN HIMBRECHTS / PHOTOSPORT British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell said a Wallabies revival was on its way and reiterated his view that it was insulting for people to suggest that they might not be strong enough opponents for a touring Lions side. After taking the Lions close in Melbourne last week, the Wallabies handed the visitors their only loss of their nine-match tour of Australia on Saturday with a convincing 22-12 victory in Sydney. Farrell had no complaints about the defeat, even if it cost his side a 3-0 series sweep, and he thought the Wallabies could be a real power when they host the World Cup in 2027. "I said to [Australia coach] Joe [Schmidt] before the game there on the pitch, that I think special things are going to happen for this team over the next 18 months," Farrell told a post-match press conference. "By the time the World Cup comes around, they'll be a force to be reckoned with, like everyone's seen in the past; they've got some special athletes and some special players, and that's no surprise to us after how they performed over the last couple of weeks." A decade of struggles on and off the pitch have knocked Australia down the pecking order in the rugby world, and the twice world champions made a pool stage exit at the World Cup for the first time in 2023. Farrell, though, scoffed at the idea that they were no longer worthy of their place in the Lions touring cycle along with New Zealand and South Africa. "We all know how hard it is to be successful on the Lions tour against a good side like Australia, and they are a good side, and they proved that over the series," he said. "I mean, everyone has their ups and downs. I've looked at the progress over the last 18 months. It's been through the roof, and you look at that side that's been out there over the last ... three weeks, they're a hell of a team." Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt Photo: AAP / Photosport Meanwhile, New Zealander Schmidt said he would be sticking to his plan to stand down next July. Robbie Deans was sacked as coach after his Wallabies side lost 2-1 to the Lions in 2013, but encouraging performances during this series, capped by the third test victory, meant Schmidt was faced with questions about staying on. Schmidt originally signed a short-term deal up until the end of the Lions series because of his desire to spend more time with his family in New Zealand and help look after his youngest son, who has severe epilepsy. In April, he agreed to extend the deal until next July, when he is scheduled to hand over the reins to Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss. "I'm looking forward to Les Kiss coming in and taking over," the 59-year-old said when asked about extending again until the 2027 World Cup, which Australia will host. "I actually apologise to the players. A little while ago, I bit one of their heads off, and my son had had a bad day. I can normally separate the two things, but it does impact me when he's had a bad day. "I know that I've a short enough shelf life and need to be more present at home. I haven't been home for two months. "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." - Reuters
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Wallabies restore pride with consolation win over Lions
Australia's Dylan Pietsch celebrates try score Photo: ©INPHO/Tom Maher / PHOTOSPORT The Wallabies restored some pride by finally producing an 80-minute performance to beat the British & Irish Lions 22-12 in a weather-disrupted third test on Saturday, handing the visitors their only loss of their nine-match tour of Australia. Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen scored tries either side of a 40-minute delay for a lightning warning, and Tate McDermott added a third late on to ensure Australia would not be swept 3-0 by the Lions for the first time since 1904. Australia coach Joe Schmidt said the victory was all the sweeter given how crushed his players had been after losing the second test, and the series, to a late try in Melbourne last week. "I think they really earned what they got tonight," he told reporters. "That's the longest test match I've ever been involved in, with a big hiatus, but I couldn't be a lot prouder of the way the players rebounded after last week, after the feeling of disappointment that they had, it was deep." The Lions, who had late tries from Jac Morgan and Will Stuart, had already secured series honours for the first time since their last visit to Australia in 2013, but were disappointed not to secure the sweep. "There's going to be frustration because we didn't do what we wanted to do in the end, but the best team won today," said Lions coach Andy Farrell. Rain had been pouring down all day, and the match started in front of a crowd of 80,213 in conditions more familiar to the nine Irishmen in the Lions team than the Wallabies. It was the home side who struck first in the eighth minute, however, when winger Pietsch scored in the corner after the Lions had repelled the Australian forwards under the posts. The Lions got back down the other end after a raking kick to touch from Finn Russell in the 12th minute, but chose to tap a penalty under the posts, and the Wallabies snuffed out the danger. Given the rain, territory was always going to be at a premium and kicking duels studded the next period of play until the Wallabies got some continuity off the pick-and-go to put more pressure on the Lions' try line. A rolling maul from an attacking lineout was neutered and several other thrusts pushed back before the Wallabies elected to kick a penalty in the 34th minute, flyhalf Tom Lynagh converting in his last act before going off with concussion. Lions lock James Ryan had to be carted off the field on a stretcher early in the second half, and the lengthy delay for that was extended by a longer suspension of play for lightning, causing the players to head back to the dressing rooms and the evacuation of the lower tiers of the stands. Nic Whiteof Australia is tackled by Tom Curry and Tadhg Furlong of the Lions during the Third Test, 2025 Photo: AAP / Photosport Australia were better after the delay with prop Taniela Tupou charging towards the try line only to drop the ball and then compound his error by being penalised at the subsequent scrum. He and lock Will Skelton brought huge physicality to the Wallabies pack, however, which was maintained this week by the replacements after they went off. Winger Jorgensen has been outstanding throughout the series, and he extended the lead to 15-0 when he pounced on a loose ball in the 55th minute and tip-toed down the touchline to score. The Lions had trailed 23-5 after half an hour in Melbourne before coming back to win with a last-minute try, so the massed ranks of Lions fans were not giving up on their team just yet. Wales captain Morgan got them on the scoreboard with a try from close range in the 62nd minute after the Lions had again turned down three points in front of the posts. The Wallabies charged down the other end, though, and scrumhalf McDermott forced his way over the line in the 71st minute to take the lead out to 22-7 soon after Lions hooker Ronan Kelleher had been sent to the sin bin. The Lions had promised to empty the tank in their final match, and they had the final word in the series with replacement prop Stuart forcing his way over the line in the final seconds. - Reuters
