Joe Schmidt orders physically, mentally tired Wallabies to rest

NEWS: Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has ordered his players to “regenerate” physically and mentally ahead of a crucial November tour that will have major ramifications for their 2027 World Cup campaign.

The Wallabies slumped to an 11th consecutive defeat to the All Blacks on Saturday night when they suffered a 14-28 Bledisloe Cup loss in front of 60,113 fans in Perth.

The result meant the Wallabies finished with a 2-4 record in the Rugby Championship, leaving them third overall behind champions South Africa and the All Blacks, having been swept 2-0 by NZ in the Bledisloe Cup.

Saturday night’s match was a bruising encounter for the Wallabies.

Will Skelton, Josh Flook, and Harry Potter were all left concussed, while star flanker Fraser McReight injured his ankle.

The Wallabies have been in non-stop business mode since early July, with their highly-anticipated series against the British & Irish Lions followed by a hard-fought Rugby Championship campaign.

Players will now get a short break before flying off later this month for a Test against Japan and then more daunting examinations in Europe against England, Italy, Ireland, and France.

The Wallabies, who won’t have James Slipper in their ranks after their stalwart prop called it a day following his 151st Test, currently sit seventh in the world rankings, and need to squeeze their way back into the top six before the World Cup draw in December.

That would ensure they don’t end up in a pool with a fellow rugby heavyweight for the blockbuster home tournament in two years.

“It’s all about regeneration now,” Schmidt said.

“They just need to get a bit of time and space. I can’t imagine how it could be a lot tougher than having three massive Lions Tests, then going straight up and playing at Ellis Park, and then, since that Ellis Park win, we’ve just collected injuries at each point.

“If we can get that regeneration period right, we’ll get a few players back.

“And we’ve got to go after some results in the northern tour.

“I think the most important thing is the next 10 days that players need to regenerate, keep ticking over, and freshen up and spend time with family.

“Spending time with family is a good mental refresh. A lot goes into a game like that with your mental preparation and your emotional energy.

“So it is fatiguing. And I think for players on the back of that 10-match block, they’ve hung in really well.”

The Wallabies have made huge strides under Kiwi Schmidt’s leadership.

But Australia has now lost 11 consecutive games to the All Blacks – a new record – and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson isn’t impressed.

“We’re not out here to be competitive. We’re out there to win,” he said.

“And the last two Test matches, we’ve had opportunities which we haven’t taken, and we’ve had two losses, which is just really disappointing.

“But there definitely is light at the end of the tunnel for us, and we’ve got to be better with those little margins.”

The All Blacks’ winning run against Australia dates back to 2021, and NZ coach Scott Robertson, whose first match in charge was in 2024, was glad to see his side create history.

“It means a lot,” Robertson said.

“We wanted to keep the tradition, the history on. Other teams have set this up, so we wanted to keep that going.”