Joe Schmidt: 'I know that County Coogee and County Bondi are going to be there in full'

Former Ireland coach Schmidt expects Saturday’s sold-out clash to be an almighty battle.

Australia head coach Joe Schmidt. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

As Joe Schmidt attempts to make it third time lucky against Ireland since joining the Wallabies, the outgoing Australian coach has made five changes to his side from the one that last ran out in Paris.

As the Irish Examiner revealed, fullback Jock Campbell has been named for his first Test in almost four years.

He’s one of three changes to the backline, which also sees Ryan Lonergan and Carter Gordon form a new-look halves pairing. It will be Lonergan’s first start after a handful of appearances off the bench in 2025.

Len Ikitau has been named at inside centre and forms a familiar midfield pairing alongside Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

The front-row has plenty of experience with Angus Bell and Allan Alaalatoa the props, with Reds hooker Josh Nasser to pack down in-between.

While Andy Farrell will try to exploit the inexperience in the second-row, with Jeremy Williams and Josh Canham selected.

Harry Wilson remains the captain and forms a settled back-row trio alongside Fraser McReight and Rob Valetini.

The bench has a mixture of youth and experience, with 23-year-old lock Lachie Shaw poised to make his debut after an excellent campaign for the Brumbies. He’s joined by the versatile Tom Hooper, who can cover anywhere in the back five forwards.

But there’s less versatility in the backline replacements, with Schmidt deciding to not include any midfield cover in the form of Filipo Daugunu. Instead, halfback Tate McDermott, playmaker Ben Donaldson and Tom Wright have been picked.

Schmidt said Wright, who has never played in the midfield, would shift to outside centre if there was an injury to Ikitau.

Having been in the Irish coaching box in 2018 when the men in green completed their historic come-from-behind win over the Wallabies in Sydney, Schmidt said he expected Saturday’s sold-out clash to be an almighty battle.

“I know that County Coogee and County Bondi are going to be there in full,” he quipped.

“It's going to be green and gold, but not the green we're looking for so much for the Wallaby team.

“I just think it's going to be a great atmosphere.

“That's part of what you want to bring to a national team, that the nation are part of that team and get behind it. We're hoping to earn that support again on Saturday and hopefully execute well enough that with eight minutes to go, we can hold on to a lead, or with 20 minutes to go and we're one or two scores off a lead, we can come over the top of that.” 

While Ireland got up and running in February for the Six Nations, Schmidt has had to wait more than seven months to avenge the nosedive the Wallabies endured during the second half of 2025.

Despite wins over the British and Irish Lions and Springboks in the space of a fortnight, the Wallabies finished the year with seven defeats from their last eight Tests.

That dreadful run included a 46-19 defeat to Ireland at the Aviva, where Schmidt’s men capitulated in the last ten minutes by conceding a couple of late tries and a yellow card.

Reflecting on the defeat, Schmidt bemoaned the inability to stay with Ireland in the last 20 minutes of that heavy defeat but said they had plenty of chances and believed they had a strong plan to topple Farrell’s men.

“We don't feel like we're miles away, but execution of that plan is the essence of success or failure,” he said.

“There's always a plan, and that plan has always got to be adaptable because Ireland will squeeze you.” 

The former Ireland coach added that he thought his old side might have a competitive advantage heading into the game because, unlike in Australia, so many Irish players recently lifted some silverware with Leinster.

“I know last time I was here in 2018, we felt we had an advantage,” he said.

“I know that the rhythm the players had from playing finals footy, that is an advantage without a doubt.

“It's not an advantage that we managed to take the best out of because we didn't have a team in the semi-final or final of Super Rugby, so I do think the confidence that players get from that, that little bit of real bone deep belief that you get out of that, when it comes to a final, we can step up and deliver.

“When it comes to a playoff game, it's winner take all because that's what a Test match, any Test match is, albeit we're playing in a Nations Championship, which I think is a really exciting concept.

“I think for the players, last time I was down here, the Sydney Football Stadium just before it was renovated, that was on fire. I felt that the players stayed really calm in those last few minutes when it was a four-point margin. 

"I thought that Irish mentality of being incredibly stubborn defensively, of being incredibly connected, I think there was evidence of that because they had the belief that they could trust each other.” Schmidt said he didn’t think there were any great surprises in Farrell’s side.

“It's very much what we'd anticipated,” he said.

“I think it's their strongest team that they can put out with Tadhg Beirne coming back from injury. James Ryan and Joe McCarthy in the engine room, they're a couple of big, experienced players.

“Stuart McCloskey, he has really come of age. Garry Ringrose teamed up with him. That's a really good, mature, experienced midfield there.

“Sam Prendergast finished the season well. Jamison Gibson-Park is a real fulcrum for them.”