Wallabies v Fiji: Australia on track to a trainwreck rugby may not be able to return from

If Australia’s plan is to lull the British and Irish Lions into a false sense of security, the Wallabies have them where they want them. If not, Australian rugby is spiralling out of control.

Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is smashed by the Fijian defence. Picture: Getty Images

If Australia’s plan is to lull the British and Irish Lions into a false sense of security, the Wallabies have got the tourists just where they want them.

If not, Australian rugby is spiralling out of control towards another trainwreck that the code may struggle to recover from.

Already heavy underdogs to overcome the combined forces of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Australia’s lucky 21-18 win over Fiji at Newcastle on Sunday was an embarrassment that has now guaranteed the Lions will start at shorter odds than Winx to win the three-match series.

While the Wallabies deserve some credit for their get-out-of-jail win, with skipper Harry Wilson scoring the match-winning try two minutes before full-time, this was not a performance to celebrate.

If the Wallabies’ error-riddled display against Fiji is any guide to how the team is tracking ahead of the biggest home series in 12 years, then the Lions will surely romp to a 3-0 clean sweep.

Fiji’s Kalaveti Ravouvou looks for a hole in the Wallabies defence. Picture: Getty Images

The only hope is if the Aussies are foxing and trying to pull off rugby’s version of the rope-a-dope when Muhammad Ali let George Foreman pummel him until he exhausted himself.

If only that was the case because the brutal reality is that with less than two weeks before the first Test in Brisbane on July 19, the Wallabies appear clueless and are running out of time to mount a serious challenge to the Lions.

Backed by their army of supporters, the tourists don’t mind blowing their own trumpets and telling everyone how good they are but the Wallabies can’t rely on them letting complacency settle in even when the signs all point to a horrible mismatch.

Even with the formidable squad they have, brimming with talent and depth in every position, the Lions are still not unbeatable, as Argentina showed everyone when they knocked them off in Dublin last month.

Fiji’s Josua Tuisova is tackled by the Wallabies defence. Picture: Getty Images

But it will still take a near-miracle for the Wallabies to beat them based on what they showed against Fiji.

The Pacific Islanders are a solid team, who beat the Wallabies the last time they played at the 2023 World Cup, so the three-point win could be construed as a step forward.

But it wasn’t anything of the sort. This was a huge backward step for the Wallabies and they need to own up to it.

While they were expected to be rusty in their first outing of the year, this was one of Australia’s worst first-up displays in years.

Fiji’s Salesi Rayasi beats Max Jorgensen to score a try. Picture: AFP

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong but they only have themselves to blame.

If the key to solving problems is to admit to them then the Wallabies need to take a cold shower and be honest about what went wrong instead of relying on the same old excuses they trot out after every poor performance.

When it comes to promising that things will get better next time, the Wallabies are the champions of the world, but the only thing they ever consistently deliver is disappointment.

Many of the mistakes they made against Fiji were unforgivable and a lot of players had shockers.

Australia’s Noah Lolesio is taken off the ground on a medical cart. Picture: AFP

The Wallabies dropped the ball time and time again, they missed simple tackles, the kicking game was abominable, they blew tries through forward passes, got pinged in the lineouts for crooked throws and panicked when the pressure was on.

As the head coach, Schmidt needs to take responsibility and start making changes or he should be replaced once the Lions series is over.

The concern for Schmidt was how quickly his players allowed themselves to get rattled.

After making a strong start with hooker Dave Porecki scoring in the eighth minute from a rolling maul, the Australians couldn’t make anything stick and began committing dumb errors, underlined by a chip kick from Noah Lolesio on the stroke of halftime that gifted the Fijians a try after Fraser McReight had scored to give the Wallabies a 14-0 lead.

Fiji scored the next 18 points, taking the lead in the 55th minute before coming unstuck right at the death.