No fanfare as Wallaby boss Joe adopts new approach for tour

SPOTLIGHT: Without fuss or fanfare, the Wallabies have quietly set off for their most significant tour in almost a decade.

Australia’s 34-man squad headed to the UK on Thursday night with an opportunity to complete the first grand slam sweep in 40 years with successive victories over England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Beating all four home nations in consecutive Tests hasn’t been achieved since the Alan Jones-coached, Andrew Slack-captained, Mark Ella-inspired Wallabies of 1984 managed the feat for the one and only time.

Perhaps that’s why coach Joe Schmidt opted against addressing the media before flying out.

Schmidt’s understated approach is a far cry from when his predecessor Eddie Jones told Australian rugby journalists to “give yourselves an uppercut” in an infamous departing press conference before last year’s World Cup in France.

Jones’s spray preceded Australia’s worst-ever showing at a Rugby World Cup and, 11 months on, Schmidt is under pressure to revive the 10th-ranked Wallabies’ fortunes ahead of next year’s prestigious hosting of the British and Irish Lions.

“It’s extremely exciting,” Wallabies prop and potential tour captain Angus Bell said before flying out.

“I haven’t had one [a tour] in a while and it’s a great test before the Lions tour coming up next year.

“So we’re really excited to test ourselves against, I guess, some of the best teams in the world and, yeah, we’re looking to come away with four wins.”

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After winning their first three Tests under Schmidt, two against Wales and then Georgia all in Australia, the honeymoon period is well and truly over for the New Zealander who piloted Ireland to the top of the world rankings.

Five losses from their past six starts in a last-place finish in the Rugby Championship has turned up the heat ahead of the Wallabies’ first grand slam tour since 2017.

“We don’t really listen to outside noise or where we’re ranked by outsiders,” Bell said.

“We’re just looking forward to building on what we have done in the TRC, which some of it hasn’t been good enough.

“So we’re we’re just looking forward to building as a team. The past is the past – we can’t change that.

“It’s something mentally you have to sort of get over. We’re just looking to get together and create those good performances that will lead us into next year, which will be a very important year for us and Australian rugby.

“So, look, we’re really excited and these four Tests will be a massive challenge for us.”

The Wallabies’ open the first grand slam tour since 2016 under Michael Cheika against England at Twickenham on November 11.

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