How Joe Schmidt almost pulled off a coaching masterstroke in Melbourne

This was almost another Joe Schmidt masterclass. Almost. 

Seven days after the Wallabies were outclassed in Brisbane, this wounded outfit came roaring back in emphatic fashion at a heaving MCG. 

Schmidt had branded his players ‘submissive’ in the wake of a timid 27-19 defeat at Suncorp Stadium. They were a different animal in Melbourne. 

This was almost another Joe Schmidt masterclass. Almost. Pic: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It said everything about the home side’s tenacity and resolve that the Lions needed a last-gasp try from Hugo Keenan to seal a hard-fought win, and the Test series. The 81st minute was the only time in this enthralling encounter that the Lions actually held the lead. In the end, that’s all that mattered. 

For large swathes of this trilling international clash, it looked like Schmidt’s side were going to level the series in emphatic fashion. 

The Wallabies were inspired for most of the contest. They didn’t look like a Schmidt-coached side in Test One. They certainly did in the rematch.  

For most of the match, especially during their first-half purple patch, Australia looked like Ireland in 2018. That was Peak Schmidtball. That was the year when the national team conquered the world, laying waste to every team which got in the way of a relentlessly efficient green machine. ‘In Joe we Trust’ was a popular mantra from Irish supporters at the time. 

Ireland were deadly during that period. The breakdown was precision engineering. The set-piece was slick. The kicking game was razor sharp and those trademark Schmidt strike moves tore opposition defences to shreds. And Ireland simply didn’t make any mistakes. It’s hard to play against a team like that. 

The Wallabies weren’t far off those lofty standards. They were sharper in everything they did. All those efforts culminated in a 23-5 advantage. A week after the Lions had held a 24-5 lead during their spell of dominance in Brisbane. Some turnaround. 

There were a flashpoints which swung the momentum back in the Lions’ favour. 

Rob Valetini and Will Skelton were both gone by the 48th minute. Both had emptied the tank. Both were greatly missed. 

Tom Curry’s seismic man-and-ball tackle on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was another big moment approaching the hour mark. 

What really killed Australia’s challenge was their lack of depth. Once some of their frontliners began to tire, it really affected them. Once they began to run out of fuel, they didn’t have the reserves. 

Once the Lions unleashed their stellar bench, it made all the difference. Ellis Genge, James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn made outstanding contributions and brought fresh energy and dynamism when the Lions needed it most. What a luxury to bring a character such as Owen Farrell, with all his experience, leadership and nous, off the bench to make the big calls at critical moments. 

Schmidt simply didn’t have the same personnel available to him. Tate McDermott, the outstanding Queensland Reds scrum-half, had to do a 60-minute shift on the wing after Harry Potter pulled up early with an injury. 

Australia Wallabies. Pic: Izhar Khan/MB Media/Getty Images

Schmidt’s plan was to send McDermott into the fray in the final half hour so he could bring his livewire energy around the ruck. 

Instead, he was filing a hole out wide while Jake Gordon, who had a superb game, was forced to go the duration. 

In the end, the Lions had too much power. And it eventually told. 

Andy Farrell will get plenty of kudos for masterminding this series win. Indeed, he could well make it a 3-0 whitewash in Sydney next week. He will get plenty of plaudits in the weeks, months and years ahead. 

But Schmidt deserves the real credit for making this series competitive. The Wallabies were at the lowest of ebbs when the former Leinster and Ireland boss answered an SOS in January of 2024.  

Australian rugby had been doing it tough for a long time but their national team had reached a nadir during Eddie Jones’ disastrous second stint in the gig. The Wallabies had won just two of nine Tests, plummeting to ninth in the world rankings while enduring a torrid 2023 World Cup, exiting at the pool stage after a 40-6 hammering by Wales. Jones was handed his P45 and Schmidt was tasked with turning things around in time for the Lions. 

The New Zealander had insisted he was done with coaching on several occasions. He signalled his intention to ‘finish’ this line of work after Ireland’s 2019 World Cup campaign. The Auckland Blues and the All Blacks subsequently convinced him to put the tracksuit back on. 

Australia managed to do the same. When it comes to coaching, Schmidt has been a bit like Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part 3. Just when he thought he was out, they pulled him back in. 

And this series was all the better for it. Yes, the Lions have won the series. That’s a result which has long been forecast. But the Wallabies pushed them all the way and, if a few little moments had gone their way, they would be heading to Sydney for a third Test decider next week. That’s a testament to Schmidt’s enduring qualities as a coach, tactician and motivator. 

Australia head coach Joe Schmidt before the second test match between Australia and the British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Because Farrell had infinitely more resources at his disposal. He had a better stable of players and plenty of quality in reserve. When things got dicey in both Tests, the Lions could revert to type and rely on their heavyweight set-piece and superior power game to make the difference. 

Schmidt had to box clever with his tactics and personnel. It looked like he was going to pull off another coaching masterstroke. Another victory to file away alongside Stade Marcel Michelin in 2012, Soldier Field in 2016 or Paris in 2023.

Schmidt still has plenty to offer as a coach, clearly. He will turn 60 in September. Les Kiss will take the reins after this series with the coaching handover set to be completed early next year. 

Schmidt will be a free agent again in 2026. His next move will be fascinating. He has never struck you as the kind of character who will spend his weekends working in the garden or washing the car. Joe enjoys a game of golf, but that’s not going to cut it. He has often classed himself as an ‘accidental coach’ but he was born to do this job. There was fresh evidence on Saturday. 

He made his mark on this series. The Wallabies will feel the benefit in the years ahead, especially with a home World Cup in 2027.  These are solid foundations to build on. And it’s all down to Schmidt.