The intricacy behind the simple can frequently be a complex puzzle. Joe Schmidt, with nine months and nine Tests at the helm of the Wallabies, has managed to establish certain sections of the broader picture to rectify the Australian rugby problem overlooked for the previous quarter of a century. However, a 4-5 win-loss track record throughout the season highlights the existence of persistent challenges both on and off the pitch.
The year 2024 kicked off with the Aussies achieving two wins against Wales and one against Georgia during home Tests. Unfortunately, the Australian team ended at the bottom of the list in the Rugby Championship, having lost the Bledisloe Cup. They experienced defeat in their games against South Africa and New Zealand and had a 1-1 split series with Argentina. As anticipated, all these outcomes demonstrated a marked improvement over the entire series.
Nevertheless, the Wallabies’ 33-13 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington on Sunday was a significant reversal of the optimism earned through their successful comeback against the same team in Sydney the previous week. As mentioned post-match by their captain, Harry Wilson, despite the evident enhancements, the ultimate goal is to secure victory.
Wilson raised a crucial point. The team, the supporters and Rugby Australia are all in need of successes. The sport is facing serious financial problems and finding it difficult to bridge the gap between its elite and amateur levels. By 2024, the AFL and NRL have made further inroads into rugby’s markets, with impressive interstate grand finals and aggressive growth plans for the upcoming decade.
Rugby is also planning its own “golden decade”, and a key part of Schmidt’s brief is to make the Wallabies a worthy adversary for the British & Irish Lions during the tour planned for winter 2025. This much-anticipated series, featuring nine matches across six cities throughout a 10-week duration, has already drawn 40,000 inbound spectators and drained ticket sales in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
The aspiration of Rugby Australia is that the Lions’ tour will help them escape their financial crises and position them to host three high-profile events on their own ground: the Rugby World Cup for men in 2027, for women in 2029, and the rugby sevens at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. If they succeed, RA might just salvage the sport and bring rugby back to its heyday.
Australia’s sporting teams, including the Wallabies and Wallaroos, haven’t been met with much success lately. Despite a commendable victory against Wales, the Wallaroos still find themselves in the second-tier WXV2 competition. Similarly, both the men’s and women’s rugby sevens failed to gain any medals in the recent Paris Olympics.
The Wallabies represent the crux of the matter, being the primary the money-makers of the sport. Schmidt’s main objective is not only to make them victors, but to ensure their style of play is dynamic and invigorating enough to unveil a new generation of champions that could spur on the population to purchase tickets for these events.
Schmidt may have had a difficult year in 2024 with five losses, but he also made significant strides. He expanded the team, introducing 16 fresh faces – the most notable injection of new talent to the Wallabies in more than six decades. Following a flux of ten captains in 15 months, he finalised on Wilson as the permanent leader.
Players like Fraser McReight who is likened to former extraordinary leader Michael Hooper, Angus Bell, Matt Faessler and Taniela Tupou bring with them a strong force. With players like Max Jorgensen, Dylan Pietsch and Corey Toole, there’s no shortage of agility either.
However, Schmidt’s struggle to secure a halves pairing – a vital link between the forwards and backs – remains a setback. Noah Lolesio, just 24, seems to be the favoured outhalf, yet his progression is sluggish and he lacks an intimidating presence. Similarly, Nic White, Jake Gordon or Tate McDermott have been unable to claim the 9 jersey as their own.
Addressing this playmaking conundrum presents Schmidt’s greatest challenge. It must be resolved during the Wallabies’ Spring tour of the UK where they face off against England on November 10th, Wales on November 18th, and Scotland on November 25th. The tour culminates in a showdown against Ireland – rugby’s current world number one and Schmidt’s previous team – on December 1st.
Schmidt expressed his anticipation for the upcoming four Test matches, considering them to be vital preparation for the Lions next year. He acknowledged the difficulty of the impending tour, yet remained optimistic about improving the team’s chances of competitiveness by the time July rolls around. Doubts linger regarding whether ‘building’, ‘potential’ and ‘competitiveness’ will suffice.
An exciting development saving rugby’s reputation is the much-awaited comeback of former rugby star Joseph Sua’ali’i, after devoting some time to the NRL with the Sydney Roosters. Sua’ali’i, now 21 and physically imposing, signs a hefty $4.8m three-year deal with Waratahs and Wallabies. Boosted by a profile set to potentially rekindle the sport’s popularity, this comes just in time for a landmark broadcast contract in 2025.
Schmidt expressed his delight at welcoming him, praising Sua’ali’i’s athletic ability, playing skills and kicking prowess. Team captain Wilson equally shared the optimism, keenly expecting the contribution of the robust utility player to their northern hemisphere campaign. “It’s truly thrilling”, declared the captain, believing Sua’ali’i to be an exceptional player imparting considerable benefit to Aussie rugby.
As a final note, amid an increasingly complex game, Sua’ali’i could end up being the missing piece Schmidt has been in search of.