Fresh from a “transformative” season under Joe Schmidt, the Wallabies won’t just challenge the British and Irish Lions but can beat them.
That’s the opinion of former Irish hooker turned pundit Bernard Jackman, who is widely regarded as one of rugby’s sharpest minds and someone who knows Schmidt’s ability better than most.
What’s more, Jackman believes Schmidt can take the Wallabies to ever greater heights than where he took Ireland given the athlete Australia produces.
“One hundred per cent,” Jackman told The Roar Rugby podcast.
“The game plan that people remember Joe Schmidt for, which is the 2018 type game that got Ireland to the top of the world and broke so many records from an Irish rugby point of view, was quite a closed game plan. We had the [Johnny] Sexton loop. There were times when we played well, but our general phase attack wasn’t really attractive or pleasing to the eye.
“A lot of that was down to the cattle, the quality of players. They were quality players but they just had different attributes than an All Blacks backline or a Wallabies backline. I think you’ll see Joe being a lot more ambitious.
“Even at the weekend, they wanted to play out of their own 22 [metre zone]. They wanted to play at their own half because he obviously felt that they could threaten Ireland from there. It didn’t work, but he now knows a little bit more about his team.
“There’s definitely more athleticism, more speed as well in that Australian back three, and no matter what way he goes, I think he will want to get the ball in their hands and they’ll play.
“He’s capable of coaching many different ways, but it’ll always be around the skill set and attributes of the players he has.”
Nick Frost had a game to remember against Ireland at Aviva Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Dublin. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Although the Wallabies showed little desire to play with width and ambition during the first half of the season in 2024, Schmidt’s side began to run the ball more during the Bledisloe Cup series. It was something former Grand Slam-winning fullback Roger Gould was thrilled to see.
Indeed, Tom Wright twice opened up the All Blacks from deep inside his half in Sydney by pinning the ears back and challenging the big men around the middle of the field.
While it didn’t lead to victories on the field, the Wallabies got some serious pay out of it against England to upset Steve Borthwick’s side at Twickenham as Wright once again dazzled.
His fine form and the Wallabies’ resurgence continued against the hapless Welsh in Cardiff, before hitting a snag in Edinburgh against Gregor Townsend’s Scottish side who cut Schmidt’s side in half in the final half-hour at Murrayfield.
After the hiccup in Edinburgh, the Wallabies delivered yet another heart-warming display in Dublin as they pushed the world No.2 side to the brink before eventually going down 22-19.
Despite the narrow defeat, the Wallabies’ third straight loss by three points against Ireland in Dublin, Jackman said given the context of where the two nations are Schmidt would have felt more confident in his side’s direction than Farrell.
“Farrell was relieved to win,” Jackman said.
“Delighted to beat Australia, delighted to beat Argentina. But we started off very poorly against the All Blacks. I don’t think we answered all the questions that were there about us.
“Whereas I think Australia would say this tour has moved them on in a big way. They now have better clarity around what formations, what players are going to be important against the Lions and getting more games under Joe.
“I suppose the nature of the tour, in terms of obviously beating England last minute was massive, hammering Wales, a step back against Scotland but then bouncing back against Ireland and a better performance, I think Joe Schmidt would be the happier of the two coaches.”
Joe Schmidt led the Wallabies to six wins from 13 Tests in his first season in charge. (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)
So just how much progress has there been under Schmidt?
“I’m very comfortable and happy that Australian rugby is back,” Jackman said.
“If you think about how Ireland got their last try against Australia on Saturday night, it was from our lineout maul, and we saw the impact of [Will] Skelton, who missed the Test, in terms of how much better the Australian maul D is with him there. There’s no [Samu] Kerevi.
Australia are going to be stronger. [Joseph-Aukuso] Suaalii is going to be even better. He had [Taniela] Tupou coming back from being left out for a while was excellent. Angus Bell could be in a world 15. At loose ends, you’ve got [Fraser] McReight.
“I believe massively in Schmidt and everyone who’s seen him in Ireland knows what he can do.
“It was a massive coup for ARU to get him and I think you’re on the right track.
“I think this Lions Test series is going to be a phenomenal Test series because you have the cohesion that you’ve built up over the last year with Joe. Farrell is going to have to try and get four countries into one. It doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to be better than any of the four.
“[The] pressure is on Farrell as much as Joe Schmidt now. I think Joe Schmidt has started the journey and is a long way down that road.”
But given there were calls for the Lions to skip Australia and play South Africa instead to ensure a competitive series occurred, is there more pressure on Farrell than Schmidt?
“Absolutely,” Jackman said. “I think the small thing like the new trial laws around the escorts and the way the game has changed now to favour people who have really good athleticism in the air, that’s something that the Australian team has and Joe Schmidt will tap into.
“Definitely the fact that Australia has improved in terms of what they’re doing. There’s obviously a better environment, better team spirit, better game plan, but just a little small tweak in the laws can actually give the Wallabies even more advantage.
“Farrell maybe has to try and pick players who have that aerial ability as well. This is a big Lions tour now for the British and Irish Lions. Whereas six months ago, we were probably thinking, is it going to do damage to the Lions brand? It’s funny how things quickly.”
Bernard Jackman believes Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is rugby’s next global superstar. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
One figure who has already shown he can dominate in the air is Suaalii, who wowed the world with his incredible debut against England at Twickenham.
The 21-year-old’s ability in the air, and the fact Suaalii saw little of the ball against Ireland, has seen some believe he could be better suited and more damaging in the back three.
But Jackman, who believes Suaalii could become one of the world’s best players quickly, says it could be a case of less is more and Suaalii’s ability in the midfield could prove game-changing.
“I still see him as a centre,” said Jackman, who played alongside arguably rugby’s greatest outside centre in Brian O’Driscoll.
“I think he’s a phenomenal athlete. I was doing some corporate hospitality and I was telling people in boxes there, watch this guy, watch this guy. He is special. A lot of them wouldn’t have heard a lot about him.
“I think obviously he has the aerial ability. How Joe’s used him on restarts is really intelligent. He’s a handful for anybody.
“But that debut against England, just how comfortable he was, his ability to offload the ball in a way that we haven’t seen from any other players.
“He didn’t get much ball on the weekend because Ireland had a lot of possession, but he doesn’t need to get much ball. He can have two or three impacts in a game and it can change a game.
“So I see him staying at 13 and I think he is going to be someone up there with Antoine Dupont or the Cheslin Kolbes or the Eben Etzebeths, Peter-Steph de Toits. That’s how good he’s going to be. What a signing by the ARU. And it’s a great boost for a rugby union to have another superstar come into the game.”
As for whether they can beat the Lions, Jackman is adamant they can.
“Yeah, I do,” he said. “I think there’s massive growth in this team. You’ve got four or five players, who on any given day can take a game by the scruff of the neck. I think it’s an exciting transformation, really. Given where you come from, they’re on the right track.”
