Schmidt keen to discuss spring tour with Suaalii after loss to All Blacks

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt insisted his team is trending in the right direction despite the All Blacks turning on the second-half power in Wellington to overcome Australia and bank another Bledisloe Cup clean sweep.

Schmidt also revealed he is planning a conversation with $4.8 million recruit Joseph Suaalii about going on the spring tour, now that the Roosters’ season has finished, and the 21-year-old is free to officially code-hop.

In an unusual home hoodoo for the All Blacks, the Kiwi side hadn’t won at the Cake Tin since 2018 but they overcame the “Capital Curse” in emphatic fashion by posting a 33-13 win over the Wallabies.

In stark contrast to the first Bledisloe Cup clash in Sydney, the Wallabies looked the stronger side in early and led 13-12 in the final stages of the opening half.

But as they always do, the All Blacks cracked the Wallabies’ defence to score after the half-time siren, and they stayed on top in the second half, scoring another two tries and keeping their visitors pointless with outstanding defence.

The five tries-to-one performance loss extended the Wallabies’ 23-year losing streak in New Zealand to 30 Test matches, and ended a Rugby Championship tournament where the Wallabies won only one of six Tests – and conceded the worst score by any Wallabies team ever.

Ardie Savea takes the ball to Dylan Pietsch before passing.Credit: Getty Images

But just as the rebuilding outfit have proved all through the tournament, where strong halves have been randomly interspersed with diabolical halves, the defeat in Wellington was, yet again, difficult to categorise.

At times the Wallabies played with intensity and commitment, particularly in defence. But at other times they allowed the Kiwis to dance in counter-attack and pick apart their defensive connection, and those simple lapses were enough to see the All Black back three slice through for tries, with Caleb Clarke scoring twice and Sevu Reece and Will Jordan also crossing.

For the second week in a row, however, Jordan’s first try was assisted by the obstruction provided by lazy All Black decoys standing in the Australian line.

Schmidt pointedly mentioned the oft-sighted All Blacks’ defensive “screens” post-game and also wasn’t happy with the ball-slowing tactics at the breakdown that denied the Wallabies the quick ball they wanted in attack.

Some courageous attacking play in the wide channels worked nicely against the Kiwi blitz defence but the Wallabies also cost themselves with pushed passes and handling errors, scuttling chances to score and keep the contest tight.

“I was really happy with that first half, and I think that try just before half-time was a pretty tough blow to take,” Schmidt said.

“If we could have gone into the changing rooms at 13-12, it would have just, I think, given us a little bit more impetus going into that second half. But the second half, I thought that first 25 minutes of the second half, they really dominated position and territory, and we had to work really hard to keep them out.”

With the Wallabies now pointed towards the spring tour, Schmidt was asked if the Rugby Championship showed his team was trending in the right direction.

Sevu Reece skinning the Wallabies defence in the first half for a try.Credit: AP

“Yeah, it does,” Schmidt said.

“We had that one half in Argentina that was pretty tough to take. But the first half we led and Argentina had a very good side. Obviously, [World Cup] semi-finalists last year. They won here in Wellington, which is more than we managed to do. But getting the win against them in La Plata. And then on the back of last week, a three-point margin is skinny.

“As a group of coaches, we’re pretty hard on ourselves. Are we managing to get what we need from the group? And have we got the right group? There’s a number of things we’ll reflect on. But there are a number of positives over the last, certainly, four weeks and even the last two weeks against the All Blacks.”

A strong performance from Dylan Pietsch in his starting debut was a bright spot.

With Suaalii’s commitments in the NRL now at an end, following the Roosters’ preliminary final loss to the Storm, the rugby recruit’s next steps will be in rugby and Schmidt was asked if he knew about Suaalii’s recent comments that he’d told he would be going on the spring tour.

Schmidt expressed mild surprise at the comments, saying he hadn’t spoken to him yet. But he also gave little doubt that the Roosters outside back would be on the plane if it can be contractually resolved.

“Now we will potentially have a conversation. We’ve just got to wait for the powers that be to deem that he’s available to us,” Schmidt said.

Tom Wright breaking away from the defence.Credit: Getty Images

“And then post that, he’ll be a guy that we’ll have a conversation with, for sure. He’s obviously coming across to rugby and we’d be pretty happy to have him. He’s a good athlete and a good player. He kicks well, he goal-kicks well.“

New Zealand 33 (Caleb Clarke 2, Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, Tamaiti Williams tries; Beauden Barrett 4 conversions) defeated Australia 13 (Fraser McReight try; Noah Lolesio conversion, 2 penalties). Half-time: 19-13