Joe Schmidt arrived in Australia in March to take on one of the most challenging roles in world rugby. Nine Tests later, how is his side tracking?
Officially, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been in the job for six months, although he started his planning long before he walked into Rugby Australia’s office for his first day on March 1.
Western Force wing Dylan Pietsch debuted off the bench in Schmidt’s first Test against Wales in July and on Saturday in Wellington looked every inch the Test footballer. Tupou is similarly crucial. The Wallabies’ scrum is far more secure when he is on the field, althoughWhen Bell and Tupou are on the field, the Wallabies’ chances of winning are far greater. Whether Schmidt can get the best out of Tupou on the training paddock remains to be seen.
Lolesio is a player who thrives on confidence and in Wellington there was some evidence that he was slowly opening Schmidt’s attacking playbook and creating space for his back line. Now, after nine Tests, Schmidt has seen the full gamut of Wallabies rugby, from gritting out a brilliant one-point victory against Argentina to following up the next week with their biggest-ever Test defeat, against the same opponent.
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