Having taken over a disjointed Wallabies side after the debacle that was RWC 2023 in France. That night in Lyon was tough as a Wallabies supporter; we were decimated 40-6 by the Welsh after coming off a 14-22 loss to Fiji. This was the team he inherited, but Kiwi Joe Schmidt has bled 27 fresh faces into this national team to build ahead of RWC 2027, where Les Kiss takes over. Being in the crowd in Melbourne in 2024, playing the Welsh again but with confidence instilled in his players by Schmidt to win 36-25 at AAMI Park. Fast forward to the present, with three sold-out stadiums in three weeks, it will be music to Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh’s ears ahead of a home World Cup next year. The game is in a healthy position.
A nine-try to two demolition of Italy was a fitting way to salute the services of the outgoing Joe Schmidt and Laurie Fisher, especially when you consider they have lost their last two matches against the Azurri. Not a very flattering winning percentage; however, the matches he has won speak volumes of his tenure. No one will forget that win at Ellis Park in Johannesburg when the Springboks led 22-0 only for the Wallabies to come back and win 38-22. Selections have always been questioned, such as Carlo Tizzano taking over the best-performing Wallaby in the first two matches, Fraser McReight, and the controversial omission of Lukan Salakai-Loto from his last squad. He got it right in Perth and reaps the benefit of an 80-minute performance.
Schmidt mentioned that Tizzano is a “Hometown boy” and that “we have sold out six stadiums in a row”, so he must be doing something right, despite not as many wins as we would have liked. $5m man, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, was praising Schmidt for “Someone who believed in me”.The game is stronger because of Schmidt’s influence. As the curtain falls on his era, the future is exciting when Kiss comes in.
The Wallabies started, as they have in this block of matches, with confidence. Man of the match: Josh Canhamm scores the first of his three tries in the 4th minute. Tom Wright goes over in the 9th minute, followed by Brendan Panga-Amosa in the 12th minute to race to a 19-0 lead before the Azzurri managed to cross the paint in the 20th minute. Then, Canham bagged his second in the 27th minute, shortly followed by BPA scoring his double and Len Ikitau on the stroke of halftime to go to the break 38-5. No second-half fade would have pleased Schmidt, with Canham becoming the first Wallaby lock to score a hat-trick.
The Azzurri were quick out of the blocks with Melbourne-born Monty Ioane going over inside the first minute. However, the Wallabies toiled away and went on to win the match 57-10, with local player Ben Donaldson going under the posts.
Under 20s finished a somewhat unlucky campaign strongly with a big win over Argentina in Georgia in the 7th place playoff.
Brisbane Rugby.com 