Rugby Australia boss’ forthright view on calls for Lions to skip series against Wallabies
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh and the Wallabies.
Although the Wallabies have delivered a mixed bag of results in the international arena this year, they will be competitive by the time the British and Irish Lions tour Australia next year.
That was the word from Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh who said he is confident the two-time world champions is tracking in the right direction under head coach Joe Schmidt despite some poor results of late.
After experiencing an annus horribilis under the guidance of Eddie Jones in 2023, Schmidt took over the coaching reins at the start of this year and the Wallabies made a fine start to their international campaign as they clinched a 2-0 series victory over Wales and also beat Georgia in a one-off Test in Sydney.
However, they were in for a rude awakening in the Rugby Championship as they suffered back-to-back defeats against the Springboks in Brisbane and Perth with the world champions delivering dominant performances against their hosts.
Australia bounced back with 20-19 triumph over Argentina in Buenos Aires and raced into a 20-3 lead in the corresponding fixture in Sante Fe before things went pear-shaped and Los Pumas eventually sealed a 67-27 win.
Most points ever conceded by the Wallabies
That was a significant result as it was the most points the Wallabies have conceded in a single match after 125 years of Test rugby.
That humiliating loss has led to stinging criticism from the likes of former England and Lions scrum-half Ben Youngs and ex-Red Rose fly-half Andy Goode who both suggested that the Lions head to South Africa instead of Australia next year.
Waugh admitted that the Sante Fe result was disappointing but believes Schmidt will turn things around by the time Lions come to Australia in 2025 for their three-Test series with the Wallabies.
“I am confident we are putting in place the systems, structure and discipline that sets the Test team up for success,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We saw the in the second Test against the Springboks… we missed a penalty on half-time, so we should have been ahead at half-time against the world champions.
“You can see the progress is there. It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time [before the Lions series].
“It is just a matter of then getting that winning experience. We now have two Tests against the All Blacks, and then a Grand Slam tour… so we have opportunity to play big Test matches.”
Waugh said despite their reversal in Santa Fe, he expects the Wallabies to give a good account of themselves against the Lions next year.
‘A team that is re-setting’
“It is a team that is, and I hate using the word re-building, but it is a team that is re-setting, and it takes experiences in big moments to get better,” Waugh said.
“Obviously, the enormity of the scoreline in that second half was disappointing. But there is context that is important… we are not the most experienced team in world rugby, and we are building that experience.”
The Wallabies will be hoping to return to winning ways when they face the All Blacks in the first of two Bledisloe up Tests in Sydney on September 21 before they take on their trans-Tasman rivals in Wellington seven days later.
