Joe Schmidt: 'We've built belief'
REACTION: Despite their second round loss in the Rugby Championship against the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt preferred to look at the positives.
The Wallabies entered Saturday night’s match looking to win back-to-back Tests against the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since 1963 following last week’s famous 38-22 triumph in Johannesburg.
James O’Connor missed three crucial late kicks as the injury-hit Wallabies suffered an agonising 22-30 loss to South Africa in Cape Town.
Schmidt was still upbeat about how far the Wallabies have come.
“I know it is a loss, but it was three tries apiece with a team that got destabilised early on. It does give belief.
“I feel like we have built some belief. It is a group of players I am enjoying working with immensely. They enjoy their work and the way we are trying to play.
“I have never had so many messages of support for Australian rugby as I have seen this week.”
It was still another brave and encouraging performance from the Wallabies, who were again hamstrung by more injuries.
A devastated Tom Wright lasted just four minutes before going off with a left knee injury, while scrumhalf Nic White was forced off in the 13th minute with concussion after his head was slammed into the turf during a slinging tackle.
Prop Taniela Tupou dislocated his left pinky shortly before half-time, and outside centre Joseph Suaalii was subbed out at the break with an apparent head knock.
It came on top of the Wallabies losing skipper Harry Wilson (knee), James Slipper (concussion) and Dylan Pietsch (broken jaw) last week.
“I’m super proud of my boys,” stand-in Wallabies skipper Fraser McReight said.
“We lost a few good men out there, and under a bit of adversity we fought right until the end. It could have gone either way.”
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