The Wallabies face Ireland in Sydney on Saturday in the first round of the new Nations Championship, a 12-team competition between northern and southern hemisphere sides. The Test is a sellout at Allianz Stadium, but competes for attention with the football World Cup and a State of Origin decider.
Schmidt's Farewell Series Begins
This month's Tests are coach Joe Schmidt's farewell tour before handing over to Les Kiss. Schmidt, 60, took over a struggling side in 2024 and rebuilt it, blooding a record number of debutants and achieving 11 wins from 28 Tests. The Wallabies have lost seven of their last eight Tests, including a 46-19 defeat to Ireland last time out. However, Ireland are missing key players Caelan Dorrius, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter, and Mack Hansen.
Nations Championship Debut
The match marks the start of the Nations Championship, a bold new venture featuring 12 top teams from both hemispheres, with fixtures in July and November. Australian rugby is also buoyed by the announcement that the Wallabies and All Blacks will play historic Bledisloe Cup Tests on Anzac Day in Brisbane in 2027, 2029, and 2031 for the first time in their 123-year rivalry.
Three Tough Tests Ahead
Next weekend Australia meets France in Brisbane, then faces Italy in Perth. All three opponents defeated the Wallabies on their November European tour, contributing to a 5-10 win-loss record in 2025. Australia currently ranks No. 8 in the world, while Ireland is No. 3. The Wallabies have lost their last five Tests against Ireland, the longest losing streak in 99 years of matches between the nations.
Transition to Les Kiss
Les Kiss, who finished his three-year contract at the Queensland Reds, has been working daily with Schmidt on the national side. Kiss has stated the handover is "not a revolution, it's an evolution," with themes of discipline, accountability, and planning remaining the same. Schmidt assured, "I'll always be around to help Les, but when he takes over I'll give him a degree of separation so he can set his own agenda."
Schmidt's Last Hurrah Squad
Schmidt has called up a diverse squad including uncapped young players Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero (both over 200cm), overseas-based stars Len Ikitau, Tom Hooper, and Angus Bell, rehabbed heroes Tom Wright and Tate McDermott, and Test record-holder James Slipper, who answered an SOS. Schmidt said, "A lot of unseen positives are about to become visible." The Wallabies will fight to send Schmidt out with three victories, which would bring his win record closer to 50%.
