Australia’s domestic rugby scene to cop direct impact of Wallabies’ Lions tour success

NSW’s fast-approaching clash with the Lions has all the makings of a massacre — which should embarrass everyone into action, as the Waratahs are the canary in the coalmine on the health of Australian rugby.

The warning bells are already sounding for the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour.

While the success of the tour will ultimately be judged by the results of the three Tests between the Lions and the Wallabies, there’s growing concerns that if the warm-up matches aren’t at least competitive, it will leave a terrible lasting legacy on the domestic game in Australia.

The Lions have already reduced the number of games they are playing on their latest tour to nine, comprising three tests, four matches against Australia’s Super Rugby sides and two against combined invitational teams.

But it’s not inconceivable that future Lions tours could be slashed even further if the Australian states get hammered by the tourists, which looks more likely than not given the mixed performances during Super Rugby and the unavailability of Test players against the Lions.

Because the Wallabies are set to play a warm-up match against Fiji on July 6, Australia’s best players won’t be free to play for their Super Rugby teams against the Lions.

The Barmy Army show there support for the British and Irish Lions.

Although he has copped some flak over the decision, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is right to prioritise the Tests against the Lions over the warm-up matches, but it comes with some risk and he should at least consider a more flexible approach.

If the Wallabies lose the Test series 3-0 and the state sides all get flogged, everyone loses, including the 40,000 British fans who spent their hard-earned travelling to Australia for a rugby tour only to be dished up cricket scores.

It has happened before. When the 2001 Lions kicked off their tour against Western Australia, they piled on 116 points. In 2023, the Force were smashed 69-17 and will again be tossed into the den as bait when they host the opening game on June 28.

While the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds, Australia’s best-performed Super Rugby sides this season, will play their matches against the Lions midweek, meaning they will avoid taking on the strongest lineups, there’s no such luck for the Force or the snakebitten Waratahs.

The NSW Waratahs and the British & Irish Lions at Allianz Stadium in 2013.

They will play the Lions at the worst possible time on July 5, two weeks before the opening test, so not only can they expect to face the full might of the tourists, but they will also be without their best players because the Wallabies are playing the next day.

Unless the men in blue can miraculously turn around their dreadful form, this match has all the makings of a massacre which should embarrass everyone into action because the Waratahs are the canary in the coalmine on the health of Australian rugby.

It may not seem like it right now but the Waratahs have a long and proud history against the Lions, playing the tourists 20 times since 1888.

In 1930, the Waratahs were so highly rated by the Lions that they played three matches against the tourists while the Wallabies played just once.

The Waratahs’ last win over the Lions was in 1959 but they have always made a contest of their clashes, and have never conceded 50 points against them, though it will be a minor miracle if they can keep that record intact this time.

The Waratahs and the Lions in 2001

Taking one step forward, then two steps back, the Waratahs are struggling with coach Dan McKellar painting a sorry picture of how low things have sunk after his team’s limp surrender to the Crusaders on Friday .

For anyone who missed his spray, here’s a refresher:

“There are some people who are too comfortable. That needs to change. If you’re too comfortable, just happy to be here and wear the tracksuit, that will change,” McKellar said.

“It’s the whole organisation…it’s in daily habits. If we look at the Waratahs as a whole over the last few years, there’s things that need to change.”

The Waratahs are struggling in 2025.

Waratahs captain Jake Gordon agreed that NSW’s failings were “systemic”.

“I’ve spoken to Dan about this before. There’s been issues for a while and that takes time to change,” Gordon said.

“It’s just disappointing. This is the worst because we’re a better team than that.

“We just need to worry more about playing and not talking s**t.”

If admitting to a problem is the first step towards recovery, then perhaps the Waratahs will eventually get better but the clock is ticking with the match against the Lions now less than seven weeks away.

And if that wasn’t a wake up call, consider this. At the exact same time the Waratahs were getting belted on the field, officials were given a shocking reminder of what they let slip through their fingers when NRL defector Mark Nawaqanitawase scored an amazing try for the Roosters.

Originally published as Australia’s domestic rugby scene to cop direct impact of Wallabies’ Lions tour success