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Bledisloe Cup not the priority for Schmidt as Wallabies play the long game
By AAP
Coach Joe Schmidt admits he probably won't know his best Wallabies starting side until the end of the spring tour in December, as he builds towards next year's British and Irish Lions series.
Schmidt said while he'd love to break New Zealand's 21-year stranglehold on the Bledisloe Cup this year, he's playing the long game - with 2025's incoming series the target.
Australia's first Tests under the Kiwi coach are against Wales in Sydney on July 6 and Melbourne a week later, while they play a one-off Test against World Cup foes Georgia back at Allianz Stadium on July 20.
The Bledisloe Cup is a two-Test series as part of the Rugby Championship in late September, before they will hunt a grand slam on the spring tour to the UK and Ireland.
Schmidt said, while he will pick the "best available" team to take on Wales, it could take all 13 Tests - the last of the year coming against his former side Ireland on December 1 - before he's clear on his first-choice line-up.
He has been scouring the options at the five Australian Super Rugby Pacific sides and said there is an exciting mix of fresh faces and experience in the selection pot.
"We started with a list that was about three deep in every position and that list has been jumbled around," Schmidt said on Wednesday at an announcement of afternoon kickoffs for three home Tests.
"Names have appeared on the bottom of it and the list has grown.
"That's confusing a little bit for me, and makes more work because I'm trying to track different players - but it's exciting."
Asked when he would know his best 15 he said "early December".
"When you learn most around players and selection is when you've had time with them," Schmidt said.
"I'm looking forward to the end-of-year tour to have a little bit more time with them.
"It's probably facetious to say early December but that's when we'll get a bit more growth from the team.
"Through these early games we'll know our best available 15 when we name it to play Wales.
"We're taking it one step at a time but we want to be really competitive from the first kick-off.
"We want to be as competitive as we can be when the Lions arrive - that's my massive target, that's the pinnacle that's next up."
While not ruling out overseas selection completely, Schmidt plans to prioritise Super Rugby players over those such as Japan-based winger Marika Koroibete or World Cup skipper Will Skelton, who is in France.
He said picking local helped with combinations and cohesion within the Wallabies, while it also encouraged the best players to stay home and strengthen the Super teams.
Australia's teams have performed notably better in the win-loss ratio against the Kiwis this season, with Schmidt wanting to see more consistency and an improvement in closing out tight games.
"It's probably fluctuated a little bit, like the Bledisloe have in the last two years, where being competitive one week hasn't necessarily materialised into being competitive the next week.
"Driving that consistency of performance is massively important, so trying to build that is going to be part of the challenge."
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Latest Comments
The difference between Fassi and Le Roux?
Almost 100 tests. Fassi is growing from test to test and is already world class. It’s going to be difficult for Damian Willemse to usurp Fassi at 15 and may find himself destined as the utility back on the bomb squad.
South Africans love hating on their fullback. A proud tradition since Percy Montgomery (before he won us a World Cup). So I don’t pay much mind to the noise that follows anyone who puts on the 15 jersey for SA.
15 is a high risk, low reward position. You don’t dare drop a high ball, certainly don’t shank a kick into the stands. In fact if you’re not kicking 60m torpedoes into the opposition corners - stay at home.
And miss tackles? After everyone else on the team has let a break through - best you not miss!
Only Andre Joubert strikes me as a fullback that has been better than Willie. Yet Willie has been widely panned on a regular basis. Irritating.
Fassi is great. And I’m sure he’s learning a lot from Willie.
Go to commentsNo, Penney's win rate as a Super Rugby coach BEFORE he was given a 2 year contract here, was 23%. He came in with a very poor success rate at SR level.
This loser vibe was borne out over the SR season where we won only 4 games while losing 10. Finishing 9th in a 12 team competition & missing a QF spot was next level DOWN.
There's zero evidence that suggests we will win 10 games (70%) as you predict. I understand there may be new assistant coaches coming on board. At this stage, we can only hope for the best.
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