Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell in Sydney in February.BritishIrish Lions/Karen Watson/INPHO How are Schmidt's Wallabies shaping up to face Farrell's Lions? There have been some promising signs from key players in Super Rugby Pacific. 7.46am, 27 Apr 2025 Share options THE LIONS HAVE six warm-up games to prepare for their Test series against the Wallabies, whereas the Australians get one. Joe Schmidt’s side will face Fiji two weekends before the opening Lions Test in Brisbane, now only three months away. Having that clash against the Fijians in Newcastle is important for the Wallabies, but it’s worth pointing out that Schmidt’s side have had 13 games together since he took over last year. July Tests, a Rugby Championship, and an autumn tour of the Northern Hemisphere allowed the Kiwi head coach to lay foundations for this upcoming Lions series. So while Schmidt might ideally have liked more games for his Wallabies team in the build-up to the Lions Tests, he has made a headstart that obviously isn’t possible for Farrell. The Wallabies had a three-day training camp in January before Super Rugby Pacific started. They won’t meet as a squad again until Super Rugby is over, with the regular season concluding on 31 May and the play-offs leading to the final on 21 June. Given how fastidious he is about preparing his sides, Schmidt may hope to have the bulk of his squad into Wallabies camp sooner rather than later, but there’s no doubt that an Australian team going deep into the play-offs would bring momentum into his group. Schmidt handed out 19 Wallabies debuts in 2024, having a good look at the options available to him, so it’s not expected that late bolters will come into his plans for the Lions series, all the more so given they only have one warm-up game. So Schmidt will be glad to have seen positive signs from some familiar faces in Super Rugby. As usual, the Brumbies are currently leading the charge for the Aussies, with Stephen Larkham’s side winning six of their 10 games so far, leaving them third in the Super Rugby table, albeit the Reds are just behind and have a game in hand. Noah Lolesio was the Wallabies' out-half last year.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Out-half Noah Lolesio, the Wallabies’ starting number 10 last year, has been steering the ship well for the Brumbies without quite playing the house down, while Wallabies fullback Tom Wright has continued to be a key man in the 15 shirt. Other core Wallabies like clever centre Len Ikitau – who is joining Exeter on a seven-month sabbatical later this year – dynamic second row Nick Frost, and experienced props Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper have been big influences for the Brumbies once again and Schmidt will be pleased to see them playing well. Alaalatoa, in particular, is back to his best. Explosive back row Rob Valetini missed the start of the season but returned in March to begin building towards the Lions series. The Brumbies are a well-coached team, with Connacht-bound attack and backs specialist Rod Seib part of Larkham’s staff, and Schmidt can rest assured that his Wallabies men are in a good place there. The same is true of the Reds, who are head-coached by his old friend and soon-to-be successor as Wallabies boss, Les Kiss. Advertisement It’s expected that an announcement on Kiss’ appointment as the next Wallabies head coach will be made soon, with the 60-year-old former Ireland defence coach set to take over when Schmidt leaves after this year’s Rugby Championship. Kiss has done a fine job in Queensland since arriving ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby season, leading the Reds into the play-offs and generally adding a layer of polish to the set-up when he succeeded Brad Thorn. Some of Schmidt’s key men are driving forces with the Reds, who have won six of their nine games and sit fourth in the table. They enjoyed an impressive win over the Blues this weekend. There was an injury scare recently as Wallabies skipper and number eight Harry Wilson fractured his arm, but he is due to return for the Reds next month. The outstanding openside Fraser McReight, who was sensational against Ireland last November, has been firing at number seven. Scrum-half Tate McDermott, who Schmidt has used as an impact player off the Wallabies bench, was key to the win over the Blues and powerful centre Hunter Paisami, who missed last year’s autumn tour with injury, continues to make explosive impacts. Second row Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was sidelined at the start of the campaign but is now back running the show. Reds scrum-half Tate McDermott.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO In-form 24-year-old Reds lock Josh Canham is one to watch, while powerful wing Filipo Daugunu could come back into the mix under Schmidt. Wallabies hooker Matt Faessler is now on the injury list but isn’t a long-term concern, although back row Liam Wright, who captained the Wallabies in the opening Test of the Schmidt era against Wales, has had more troublesome injury issues. Wright didn’t play against last year after that Wales game due to shoulder troubles and despite making a comeback for the Reds last month, he is now sidelined again with the same injury. Reds out-half Tom Lynagh may well be the most in-form Australian player in his position. The 22-year-old was involved in the Rugby Championship last year and even though Lolesio has been Schmidt’s man at number 10, Lynagh is on the rise. The Waratahs aren’t too far off the pace being set by the Brumbies and Reds, with Dan McKellar’s side having won five of their nine matches so far, although they’ve had a slump recently. Ex-Ireland backs coach Mike Catt is now running the Tahs’ attack to positive effect, with strike weapons like rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to call on. Having made a major impact for the Wallabies last autumn in his first rugby union campaign, Suaalii was unfortunate to suffer a foot injury in the opening game of the Super Rugby season. He returned last month, initially at outside centre before moving to fullback for the Tahs’ three most recent games. Suaalii started three games at number 13 for the Wallabies last year, so it will be intriguing to see how Schmidt uses him against the Lions. There’s no doubt Suaalii is a special player with stunning aerial skills, while he has linked promisingly with the likes of Wallabies wing Andrew Kellaway. Schmidt also rates Waratahs wing pair Max Jorgensen and Darby Lancaster, but both have been sidelined through injury. Jorgensen – who had a breakthrough autumn for the Wallabies last year – underwent ankle surgery last month, making him a doubt for the Lions series. First-choice Wallabies scrum-half Jake Gordon had been missing due to a knee injury but Schmidt will be glad to have seen him make a return to action for Sydney University in the Shute Shield this weekend, with the Waratahs having a bye in Super Rugby. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii can play 13 or 15.Andrew Fosker / INPHO Andrew Fosker / INPHO / INPHO After a disappointing autumn campaign with the Wallabies, dynamic tighthead Taniela Tupou has been looking to get back to his best with the Tahs, but that has not been the case. Still only 28, Tupou has again been linked with a move away from Australia at the end of the year, but Schmidt could do with him finding his groove. Tupou’s drop-off has been a little alarming. Loosehead prop Angus Bell looked exhausted at times on the Wallabies’ autumn tour but will be pivotal against the Lions. The 24-year-old recently revealed that he considered retiring before foot reconstruction surgery finally resolved longstanding injury issues. Having the destructive Bell at his best for July is a key focus for Schmidt and co. Waratahs back row Langi Gleeson played for the Wallabies nine times under Schmidt last year, but now appears to be out of consideration after agreeing on a move to French club Montpellier next season. His dynamism off the bench might be missed. The Western Force are actually one place above the Waratahs in the Super Rugby table, even though they’ve won one game less and played one game more. They’ve managed to grab more bonus points along the way. Halfbacks Nic White and Ben Donaldson, both in Schmidt’s Wallabies plans, have been leading the Force’s efforts, while wing Harry Potter – who made a try-scoring Test debut last November – has been prolific with seven tries in 10 Super Rugby games. Even more prolific is openside flanker Carlo Tizzano, who has 11 tries in nine starts and remains a teak-tough option in the back row for Schmidt. Second row Darcy Swain, yet to feature for the Wallabies under Schmidt, has been a lineout menace for the Force. Experienced hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa is out with an ankle injury but should be back to feature against the Lions, while 24-year-old second row Jeremy Williams is a player who established himself with the Wallabies last year and has stepped up for the Force this season. Of course, a couple of overseas-based players will likely be in the Wallabies squad again this summer. Will Skelton – who played twice for the Wallabies last autumn – has been busy for La Rochelle and though he had a knee injury at the start of the year, he has racked up 19 appearances. The heavyweight lock wasn’t at his best amid La Rochelle’s struggles but Schmidt will be pleased to see Ronan O’Gara’s side winning back-to-back games in the last two weekends, including last night’s crucial victory away in Bordeaux. Will Skelton and La Rochelle won again last night.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 32-year-old wing Marika Koroibete was part of the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship campaign last year but looked a shadow of his former self. He only returned from injury for the Saitama Wild Knights in Japan last month, having missed the opening block of the season. Three tries in his last two games suggest he’s finding his rhythm. Samu Kerevi is the other overseas player who featured in the Wallabies’ squad last November, although a red card against Wales ended his campaign. 31-year-old Kerevi has been playing well for the Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan this year, although Greig Laidlaw’s side are bottom of League One Division 1. In contrast, three of the four Australian sides are in the play-off places in Super Rugby as things stand, with the Waratahs only a point off those spots. There are still five regular-season rounds to go so that picture could change but overall, Schmidt must be content that the Aussies are showing up well. He might be delayed in getting his hands on some key Wallabies, but the momentum and confidence gained from Super Rugby might be key given the lack of build-up games for Schmidt’s team before they face the Lions. Murray Kinsella Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “How are Schmidt's Wallabies shaping up to face Farrell's Lions?”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “How are Schmidt's Wallabies shaping up to face Farrell's Lions?”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... 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