Before we go any further I need to say it too. I know, it’s been covered and thank you to all the people who pointed it on X, formerly Twitter. Tom Wright, for the love of god, run it closer to the sticks.
Now, we begin. Australia are two games into their Grand Slam northern hemisphere tour, the halfway mark. I think Wallabies’ fans would have bitten your hand off to get two wins on the trot before they made the trip up north.
So with two games under their belt and Tests against Scotland and Ireland on the horizon, let’s do a quick progress report on Joe Schmidt and his Wallaby team.
Joe Schmidt’s impending contract decision
When the New Zealander took charge it was clearly laid out that his contract ran until the conclusion of the Lions tour in 2025. Schmidt has made it clear than any decisions he makes, it’s his family that move the dial. With an ill family member Schmidt is dedicated to spending as much time at home as possible.
Although it has lots of travel, international rugby is more forgiving than the club game, so if Rugby Australia afford Schmidt the opportunity to balance his family’s welfare with the progress of the national squad, he may be around of a while yet.
Think back: when Schmidt first took the national job in Ireland, it was for two years, taking him right up to the 2015 World Cup. Before the beginning of that campaign, Schmidt agreed to a two-year extension with the IRFU and in 2016 they reworked the contract to finish after the 2019 World Cup.
Will Schmidt stay, or will he go? (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
In the modern world of working, it’s very rare we see people in the same company all their lives. We know now that as an employee you make the biggest gains when you sit down at the table and negotiate.
These two-year stints afford Schmidt the ability to check in and sense check his message not only with the players but with the union as well. I expect to see him at the helm for Australia up to the next World Cup.
Competency
You might say, “of course I do!” But do you actually remember how bad this Australia side looked under Eddie Jones?
By improving their discipline alone, this side looks reborn. Australia received five yellow cards in the Rugby Championship last year compared to three in half the amount of games. The level of detail and structure Schmidt and his coaches implemented into the squad freed up this inexperienced group and took difficult decisions out of their hands.
It wasn’t all pretty but that hard work is beginning to come to fruition on this northern tour, with their basics cemented we’re seeing players like Tom Wright and Len Ikitau shine. Look back to some of those Bledisloe games and just see the difference in how the whole team is running when Tom Wright makes a break, versus now.
Seventy-five per cent lineout success in Twickenham, 92 per cent against Wales – this pack is beginning to grow under Geoff Parling’s tutelage. While we’re calling for the likes of Isaac Kailea and Zane Nonggorr to see more minutes in the front row due to their athletic traits, if they can’t deliver on their basic jobs like lineout lifting, scrumming legally and working to cover space either sides of the ruck, Schmidt won’t be able to pick them.
So while may look for them in phase play, the boring jobs are what will get them selected in the match day 23.
We need to talk about Samu Kerevi
I’m not here to go through his red card, I’m here to talk about the knock-on effects of his absence from the team. With Kerevi being unavailable for the remainder of the Grand Slam tour, it’s going to very difficult for Schmidt to put him in a serious role during the Lions tour.
He just hasn’t had the reps in a Schmidt team to be an automatic selection next year.
Marika Koroibete came into the team from Japan and didn’t look ready to play international rugby. His time in the environment does mean he’s got minutes under his belt in Schmidt’s system, which is a positive. How “good” were those minutes? Only Schmidt knows the honest assessment they did on his involvement.
On the other hand, Kerevi ruled himself out of the Rugby Championship, citing his own fitness. Hindsight is 20-20 but he’s now run out of time to demonstrate on the field that he understands Schmidt’s game plan.
Samu Kerevi at his best is a one of a kind player. He’s in the same group as Antoine Dupont and RG Snyman in terms of there’s no one else that can do what he does.
I do think he’ll get another shot, especially when the likes of Eoin Toolan, who’s spent time coaching in Japan, adds his insight as to the genuine standard Kerevi has played at in the build-up to the Lions series.
Genuine international-quality locks
We’ve talked about the lineout already. Scotland will be an interesting test with their athletic pack and Ireland have struggled in that department for coming on two years now. These will be two great measurements for Australia, can they compete in Murrayfield and can they attack Ireland in the Aviva?
Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams have really grown under Schmidt’s tenure. In Frost’s case, I feel as through he may be one of the few players who benefited under Eddie Jones, as now he knows exactly what it shouldn’t be like. The two locks know their roles inside out.
Will Skelton has now entered the mix and if he’s ever to carry his club form into the gold jersey, it will be Schmidt and co. who unlock it. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto’s return to Australian rugby has come at a terrific time and he’s slowly starting to deliver on the promise he showed when he burst onto the scene.
I’m really interested to see how Skelton beds into the system moving forward and how many minutes he gets over the next two Tests.
As of now, the Wallabies grade for semester one is an A-. We’re only halfway through the tour and two defeats in the upcoming games could knock that grade down a peg or two.
But the strides they’ve made already in the opening two Tests earn them a B- already. It’s incredible, that in the space of two games, the feeling in Australian rugby has completely changed. Looking forward to seeing what Australia can put together this weekend.
