Joe Schmidt has set realistic expectations for the Wallabies' build-up to their Nations Championship opener against Ireland, revealing his squad will assemble with barely any time to prepare once Super Rugby releases its players.
"We'll be trying to get the players together as soon as we can post their exit from Super Rugby," Schmidt said. "In the past we've run a couple of hubs where we've got the different Super clubs together and done a bit of work with them, then tried to get them into camp and hit the ground running. But it's very difficult — we get about four trainings before we play Ireland at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. That's a fairly big ask to get everything right within that timeframe."
The campaign also carries an emotional weight for Schmidt, who spoke about the prospect of finishing up with the group. "I'll be back here in a couple of months and I'm looking forward to that," he said of a planned return to Perth. "But it'll also be a little bit sad to finish. I've really enjoyed the group, and we've had a good amount of support behind us. It'll be disappointing to depart that — but good to get home to the family."
Schmidt was careful to stress no squad had been locked in, but pointed to a core of consistent performers including Tom Robertson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Caleb Timu, Ben Donaldson and Hamish Stewart. He admitted disappointment that Henry Robertson's form season had been interrupted by injury.
"He was certainly part of the conversation," Schmidt said. "We haven't picked the squad at all — we've just tried to keep an open mind. We're disappointed he's not in the frame for the July Tests, but he's a young man. I'd love to see him challenge again in the future for those gold jerseys."
On Donaldson, who responded to specific feedback after missing last year's spring tour, the coach was warm. "We know what his strengths are. When he's bringing the ball to the line and playing at the line, that's when he plays best. His show-and-go game is such a threat because he's got good acceleration and good top-end speed. The length of his kicking game is another strength." Schmidt also praised the playmaker's defensive improvement, citing a one-on-one read in the backfield that snuffed out a line break.
Looking further ahead, Schmidt threw his support behind the idea of an Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup match, a concept being floated for future seasons. "How good would that be? I'd love to see that," he said. "We are the Anzac nations, and it would set the Bledisloe up really well into a three-match series. It would be a really good early-season taste of international footy in an isolated window, and I think the Super clubs could work around it."
He was equally effusive about Perth as a Test venue, recalling how close the Wallabies ran the All Blacks there last year. "Optus is a super stadium — it's vocal," Schmidt said. "You get to play a really good brand of rugby in Perth because the conditions are conducive to open rugby."
For now, though, the focus is narrow: four sessions, one of the world's best sides waiting in Sydney, and a coach determined to make every minute of a short runway count.
