Rugby revivals upcoming? Struggling Wales and new-look Wallabies meet at Sydney
Rugby revivals upcoming? Struggling Wales and new-look Wallabies meet at Sydney
FILE - Ireland’s coach Joe Schmidt watches as his players warm up ahead of the Rugby World Cup Pool A game at Kobe Misaki Stadium between Ireland and Russia, in Kobe, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2019. Liam Wright will lead the Wallabies against Wales after Joe Schmidt completely overhauled Australia’s squad on Thursday, July 4, 2024 for his first test in charge. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
FILE- Wales head coach Warren Gatland before the Six Nations rugby union international match between Wales and France at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, March 10, 2024. Wales coach Warren Gatland says he had no intention of upsetting hooker Sam Parry, who quit the rugby squad this week for reportedly feeling “disrespected.” (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
FILE - Ireland’s coach Joe Schmidt watches as his players warm up ahead of the Rugby World Cup Pool A game at Kobe Misaki Stadium between Ireland and Russia, in Kobe, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2019. Liam Wright will lead the Wallabies against Wales after Joe Schmidt completely overhauled Australia’s squad on Thursday, July 4, 2024 for his first test in charge. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
FILE - Ireland’s coach Joe Schmidt watches as his players warm up ahead of the Rugby World Cup Pool A game at Kobe Misaki Stadium between Ireland and Russia, in Kobe, Japan, on Oct. 3, 2019. Liam Wright will lead the Wallabies against Wales after Joe Schmidt completely overhauled Australia’s squad on Thursday, July 4, 2024 for his first test in charge. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
FILE- Wales head coach Warren Gatland before the Six Nations rugby union international match between Wales and France at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, March 10, 2024. Wales coach Warren Gatland says he had no intention of upsetting hooker Sam Parry, who quit the rugby squad this week for reportedly feeling “disrespected.” (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
FILE- Wales head coach Warren Gatland before the Six Nations rugby union international match between Wales and France at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, March 10, 2024. Wales coach Warren Gatland says he had no intention of upsetting hooker Sam Parry, who quit the rugby squad this week for reportedly feeling “disrespected.” (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
Australia and Wales meet Saturday in Sydney at the beginning and nearing the end of their respective seasons. The Wallabies are looking to start afresh after last year’s disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign while Wales just wants to win again.
The Wallabies and new coach Joe Schmidt hope to start their season on a positive note after the team failed to make it out of group play at a World Cup for the first time. One of their many low points in France was a 40-6 loss to Wales.
The Welsh, meanwhile, hope to end a seven-match losing streak that started with a defeat to Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals last October. It continued with losses in all five Six Nations matches earlier this year and extended to June when the World Cup-winning Springboks beat them 41-13 at Twickenham -- where the Welsh were forced to move when the Cardiff stadium was being used for a Taylor Swift concert.
Schmidt, the former Ireland coach who replaced Eddie Jones, did his best to shake things up when he named his first test team on Thursday. He retained in the run-on lineup just four of the 15 players who started Australia’s previous test.
Liam Wright, who has been captain of the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby since 2020 but has only played five test matches for Australia, will lead the Wallabies. He’ll be the seventh player to captain the Wallabies in two seasons.
“Liam ... is really understated,” Schmidt said. “He’s a lineout caller, so he already has a responsibility in the team. I think what all the coaches liked about Liam is he doesn’t really say that much . . . he just gets the job done really well.”
The last of Wright’s tests was in 2020, and since then he has experienced a heavy injury toll with six major setbacks between February 2021 and March 2023. He played just 41 games over four years while dealing with hamstring tears, assorted foot and ankle injuries, a broken hand and a dislocated shoulder.
That time off the match paddock made Wright work all the harder.
“I’m a big believer when you’re in rehab you can use it to reshape yourself and become a much better player,” he told the Brisbane Times.
Schmidt had a successful tenure as Ireland coach from 2013-19. After a brief return to New Zealand, he moved to Australia after Eddie Jones left the Wallabies in January.
He selected lock Jeremy Williams and center Josh Flook for their test debuts and picked hooker Matt Faessler in the starting XV for the first time. Five of the eight reserves are uncapped, including backup flyhalf Tom Lynagh, the son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh.
Schmidt and Wales coach Warren Gatland, both New Zealanders, have a long history as rival coaches heading into this two-test series.
Losing streaks to end?
And while Schmidt is determined to get his tenure started with a win, Gatland needs to end that seven-test losing streak, including the loss to South Africa last month.
Wales hasn’t beaten the Wallabies on Australian soil in 11 tests since 1969.
Only three of the starting Wales XV from that win over Australia last September will start again in Sydney. Gatland unveiled a starting lineup containing a halves combination with a total of three test caps between them: scrumhalf Ellis Bevan coming off his test debut and Ben Thomas starting at No. 10.
Josh Hathaway was selected on the wing to make his test debut, the only uncapped player in the 23-man squad.
Skipper Dewi Lake will start at hooker and Aaron Wainwright will be at No. 8 for his 50th test, making him the most experienced player in the starting forward pack.
Gatland knows that winning in Australia for the first time in 55 years is a huge challenge.
“There is a lot of talent within the Australia squad and we know they will want to come out firing and put in a performance against us,” he said. “Test matches are all about fine margins and we know we need to be accurate, keep our discipline and stay in the fight for the full 80 minutes.”
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