Australia coach Joe Schmidt is keen to avoid reliance on results but admits victory in the second Test would be a huge fillip for this group of players
A
s rugby union in Australia prepares to launch into its golden decade, spaceship Wallaby remains a work in progress. Joe Schmidt’s vast project has showed promise, but testing has been far from rigorous, and the countdown has now hit zero. At the launchpad of the MCG on Saturday night in a must-win Test against the British & Irish Lions watched by 90,000 fans, it’s time for lift off.
Schmidt appreciates what a victory would do for Australian rugby. “I would never be outcome focused,” he said this week. “But this would be special and it would be special for this group, I think it would accelerate a little bit of their growth as well in terms of gaining confidence.”
The former Ireland coach is in a difficult place. The proud Australian rugby community cannot stomach the thought of a series whitewash against the Lions, but the Wallabies are not long out of their doldrums. Though improvement under Schmidt secured spring tour victories over England and Wales last year, the XV to trot out onto the MCG turf remains raw.
