Will Skelton’s much-needed return for Wallabies in doubt after injury in club game
Schmidt will rely primarily on Skelton’s strength to secure the Wallabies’ attacking line-up, which lost possession too often against Italy in Udine. The Wallabies also struggled to penetrate the stubborn Italy defence, with the breakaway Tom Hooper coming out on top in the forward clearances with just 30 points in Udine.
Against England the previous week, fellow backrower Rob Valetini was the best ball carrier of the group with 20 metres, highlighting a bigger problem for the Wallabies of late.
Will Skelton’s physicality was vital against the British and Irish Lions.Credit: Getty Images
If fit, Skelton’s to-do list in Dublin will be to try to build morale in the Wallabies camp ahead of the toughest fortnight in Test rugby.
Fraser McReight was one of the few Wallabies to hold their own against Italy. He committed three crucial turnovers and the breakaway player did not believe that fatigue could be used as an excuse for surprise defeat.
“I think this is nonsense,” he said. “Some kids like Carter came into this game [Gordon]Who I thought was really good tonight.
“Bobby and I had a nice spark on the bench [Valetini] and Peter [Samu]. “I think the two areas where we really let ourselves down were around discipline and chaos.”
Captain Harry Wilson speaks to his team after the defeat in Italy.Credit: Getty Images
Asked what was wrong with the Wallabies’ discipline – they conceded 13 penalties in each match against Italy and England in back-to-back weeks – McReight struggled to find an answer.
“That’s a great question. To be honest, I’m trying to figure this out, too. I don’t know,” he said.
McReight spoke about the defeat to Italy in Florence in 2022 and the pain the Wallabies felt three years on from another defeat against Italy.
“Not much has been said in the barracks at the moment; it’s quite painful and bleak,” McReight said.
“But the leaders on the field talked about taking in the pain, that emotion, letting it sink in, and using it. And then we stuck with it. We have such a tight group that they’ve probably been around it for a while.”
“I know it’s going to hurt for the boys but we’re going to evaluate and we’re going to dig deep for each other, for our families, for the country and we’re going to start training next week. That’s all we can do. We’ve got a big test against Ireland, it’s going to be a painful 24 hours and then it’s over.”
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In his post-match press conference, Schmidt confirmed that star center Ikitau is ready to play against Ireland next week.
“I thought Hunter Paisami played well; he was physical, a strong player for us,” Schmidt said.
“He has good skill and was penalized once for being late in a tackle he had committed to, so he will be disappointed.
“But other than that, I felt he played well. Lenny [Ikitau]He’s fit and available next week and he’s spent a week with us, so he’s a guy who brings more leadership than anything else. “He’s in our leading team and he’s had a great season for us so far.”
