Ireland arrive in Sydney with an old friend determined to make it a bumpy landing
HARBOUR CRUISE: Ireland's Ciarán Frawley, Sam Prendergast, Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne take a ferry to Manly after touching down in Sydney ahead of their opening July 4 fixture against Australia in the southern hemisphere portion of the inaugural Rugby Nations Championship. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Joe Schmidt has already twice delayed his plans to finish up with the Wallabies over the past 12 months, but the beginning of the end is now very much on the horizon for the coach, and Australia’s players have vowed to use his impending departure as motivation to send him out a winner.
The former Ireland coach only ever signed on with Rugby Australia to lead the Wallabies through to the end of the British and Irish Lions series.
But a two-week turnaround into last August’s Rugby Championship and an ability to wrestle Les Kiss away from the Queensland Reds immediately saw Schmidt stay on with the Wallabies.
Now, however, the end is in sight with July’s three Nations Championship fixtures, beginning with Ireland in Sydney, Schmidt’s last dance.
While the wily old silver fox insists July’s campaign won’t be about him, the drawn-out nature of his departure from the Wallabies – which will continue when he joins the Australian A side later this year as a consultant alongside coach Stephen Larkham – has meant that Schmidt’s future with the national team has dominated discussion.
“If you ask Joe, he probably won’t mention that at all, he doesn’t like talking about himself,” said prop Allan Alaalatoa, having been asked if there was a sense of July’s Tests being about doing it for Schmidt.
“But for us players, to have him take the job and to come on board post-2023, the boys were definitely grateful for his input and the work that he’s put in over the last couple of years and where he’s taking the team.
“I know that results probably don’t show that, but in terms of our core game and the way that players have improved around just the basic stuff of the game, and the world-class coaching team that he put together so boys can come in and continue to improve, it’s a credit to him.
“I know that the boys who have been a part of his program for the last two years have definitely gotten better as rugby players, but also better as men as well.
“So I think that’s more of something that us players will talk about because Joe definitely won’t mention it.
“A lot of the work that he has done hasn’t gone unseen. I know that the players will definitely carry that into the next three games.”
Returning Test fullback Tom Wright agreed. “In the time that Joe’s been in charge of this group, he makes it solely about the players and the performance,” said Wright, who missed the second half of last year because of an ACL injury suffered against the Springboks.
“He wants nothing to do with any of the headlines or fuss being made about him.”
The Wallabies were speaking on a glorious winter’s day in Sydney’s eastern suburbs after regrouping together after a week’s break.
But the sunny weather won’t remain, with heavy rain forecast over the next week in the lead-up to their July 4 encounter with Andy Farrell’s Irish.
As the Wallabies quickly try to get up to speed ahead of their season opener, Farrell’s touring party touched down in Sydney and quickly dusted themselves off by taking a ferry across Sydney Harbour. They might have even caught a glance of Schmidt’s Wallabies enjoying a light run-through in Double Bay from the ferry.
Both sides will quickly ramp up their preparations for the sold out Nations Championship opener over the next couple of days.
A serious question mark hangs over the head of centre Hunter Paisami, while overseas-based Wallabies Len Ikitau, Tom Hooper and Taniela Tupou are expected to join the rest of the group on Thursday.
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