Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii defends embattled coach Joe Schmidt
Despite six losses in seven games, Wallabies players have united behind coach Joe Schmidt, refusing to blame him for the team's poor performances.
Wallabies centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has leapt to the defence of Australia’s embattled coach Joe Schmidt, rejecting suggestions that the New Zealand-born mentor should step down before his schedules departure in July next year.
Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss will take over as Wallabies coach from Schmidt after next year’s Australian leg of the Nations Championship.
However, such has been the Wallabies’ poor spring tour form, there have been calls for Schmidt’s tenure to end after Australia’s year-ending Test against France on Sunday morning (AEDT) in Paris.
The Australians have lost six of their past seven games, including losses in their past three matches against Ireland, Italy and England.
However, former NRL star Suaalii, who has been nominated for World Rugby’s breakthrough player-of-the-year award, said Schmidt was “one of the best coaches in the world”.
“We take it as a playing group,” Suaalii said.
“Joes sets it up throughout the week. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, one of the best coaches in the world, so we’re truly grateful for that.
“We get to learn and be under his guidance, and for us as a playing group, it’s up to us to repay him on the weekend to go out there and perform.
“There are some key moments in games where we need to get better, but that’s just us as a playing group. It’s nothing to do with Joe.
“We need to stand up as individuals for the team and work for each other … it’s on us.
“I’m still growing in this game. It’s my first year playing the game of rugby professionally, so I’m just keeping chipping away at it, just seeing where I can get better and improve.”
Suaalii’s teammate Tom Hooper was also full of praise for Schmidt.
“He still believes in us, which is an amazing thing from a head coach,” Hooper said.
“Straight after that loss (to Ireland) in the dressing room on the weekend, he got us all up on our feet, dusted us off, got us connected as a group and gave us one clear message, and that’s that he still believes in us.
“We have to believe in what we’re doing. These results haven’t gone our way, but they are going to make us better.
“Physically, and in terms of our belief, and our psyche towards where we can take this team, and where we are going to take this team, it’s never been stronger, and the key driver of that has been Joe Schmidt.”
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