SYDNEY – Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt believes building consistency and the ability to win close matches will be two of his biggest challenges, as he looks to put together a team who can take on the British and Irish Lions in 2025.
The New Zealander took on a rebuilding project when he replaced Eddie Jones in March as coach of an Australian team who won just two of nine Tests last season, and crashed out of the World Cup at the pool stage for the first time.
His first games in charge will be two Tests against Wales and one against Georgia in July, but any honeymoon period will be short as Australia renew their quest to win the Bledisloe Cup against the All Blacks for the first time in 23 years.
Schmidt said he had been encouraged by the performances of Australian sides in Super Rugby Pacific this season, but pointed out that they had displayed the same inconsistency that has blighted the Wallabies in recent years.
“Being competitive one week hasn’t necessarily materialised into being competitive the next week,” he said on May 1. “Driving that consistency of performance is massively important.”
The former Ireland coach also identified that Australia had developed the unwelcome habit of losing tight matches in recent seasons.
“Just being able to nail those big moments at the finish of those games has been a bit of a challenge for the Wallabies in recent years,” he added.
“I’ve had some experiences with teams (who) haven’t quite nailed those big moments and trying to build your mindset where you can stay process-driven through those periods with consistency.”
Getting selection right was the first step towards creating consistent performance, Schmidt said, but he admitted that he probably would not know his best team until the end of the last of the 13 Tests Australia will play in 2024.
However, he said priority in his selections would be given to Australia-based players, as his experience of coaching in Ireland and with the All Blacks had taught him that the best combinations were often forged in provincial teams.
“I think if everyone’s available here, then you wouldn’t have to go too far anywhere else,” he said. REUTERS
