By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australian rugby heads into the Christmas break with a rare bout of festive cheer after the Wallabies made great strides on their Northern Hemisphere tour.
Gloomy predictions of a wipe-out against the home nations proved well wide of the mark as Joe Schmidt’s side claimed a rousing win over England at Twickenham and thumped woeful Wales a week later.
A 27-13 loss to Scotland at Murrayfield took some of the gloss off the tour, and being run down by Ireland late in their 22-19 defeat on Saturday may sting for some of the Wallabies players through the break.
Schmidt finished his first season in charge with six wins from 13 tests, with half of those the victories coming against the struggling Welsh.
But the Wallabies showed more than enough improvement for fans and home media to now look forward to next year’s British and Irish Lions tour with a sense of excitement rather than trepidation.
With Schmidt contracted until the end of the Lions tour in August, Rugby Australia (RA) is working on an extension to retain the New Zealander until the 2027 World Cup on home soil.
RA’s record in coaching matters has been questionable in recent years — see Eddie Jones’s stormy tenure of two wins and seven defeats and a first group-stage exit at a World Cup.
However, the governing body has universal support in seeking to lock down Schmidt.
“He’s done a lot for us this year and changed the way we play,” Wallabies loose forward Rob Valetini said. “The results sort of speak for themselves what he’s done this year.
“So if he was able to extend, the boys would be keen for that.”
While the Wallabies’ attack showed a new dimension, their defence against an Irish side that dominated territory and possession underlined a gradual improvement since the 67-27 humiliation by Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
Players written off by Jones have blossomed under Schmidt, including new skipper and number eight Harry Wilson.
With Valetini shifted to the blindside and openside Fraser McReight’s reputation growing by the week, Australia now have a back row to build a team around for years.
Joseph Suaalii’s introduction has given the Wallabies an aerial threat missing since Israel Folau’s controversial sacking several years ago.
High-priced rugby league convert Suaalii will be better for a season of Super Rugby with the New South Wales Waratahs before tackling the Lions.
However, the Wallabies’ scrum remains a lottery and highly dependent on the fitness of tighthead prop Taniela Tupou.
The team’s scrum doctor Mike Cron will hope for more improvement out of young props Angus Bell and Isaac Kailea to offer veterans James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa relief.
Australia are far from the finished product but Schmidt may feel he has enough pieces to challenge Andy Farrell’s Lions and launch what RA has long promised will be a “golden period” for the home game in the leadup to the 2027 World Cup.
“I think he’s now got a nice picture, hasn’t he, with everyone that he’s used over this season, and that’s a lot,” said Farrell.
“They’re going to be looking forward to next season.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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