Wallabies Coach Joe Schmidt Claims Springboks Were ‘Lucky’ Against Ireland
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has stirred the pot ahead of the Rugby Championship opener in Brisbane by suggesting that the Springboks were ‘lucky’ in their recent series against Ireland.
Schmidt, who has coached Ireland and was part of the All Blacks coaching setup at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, acknowledged that while the Springboks are a formidable team, they benefited from some favorable calls in their drawn series against Ireland.
Springboks Are ‘Lucky’ Says Wallabies Coach
With his extensive experience against the Springboks, Schmidt hopes that their good fortune doesn’t continue in the Rugby Championship.
“South Africa looked pretty impressive with the level and intensity of that Irish series,” Schmidt told reporters. “There was a bit of controversy with James Lowe’s try being disallowed. For South Africa, they tend to get a bit of luck from that perspective. They don’t need too much luck to fall their way, though.”
Schmidt added, “They make a lot of their own luck with the quality of players and the connectedness that they have. They have guys who’ve played a lot of Test match footy together. That breeds confidence and an almost unspoken trust among players, knowing what each other is going to do and expecting them to do it well.”
Rush Job for New Coach Ahead of Springbok Double Header
Despite the Wallabies recording a trio of Test wins in July, Schmidt feels the preparations for the Rugby Championship have been rushed. He believes his prior experience against the Springboks will be invaluable.
“I’d like to have had more time, to be honest. It’s very much been a sprint so far,” he said. “There are six new players in, that I haven’t spent time with before. Connecting it all up is a real challenge. But I’ve coached against most of the Springboks over a number of years. I probably know them better than I know us, but we’ve got a great bunch of young men who are really committed to trying to make sure they are as competitive as possible on Saturday.”
Schmidt also revealed that utility back Max Jorgensen is fit to play despite recent injuries, and he mentioned that inspirational lock Will Skelton could feature in The Rugby Championship despite not being available for next weekend’s clash against the Springboks in Brisbane.
Australia will open their campaign with a pair of home Tests, both against the reigning world champions.
