Joe Schmidt 'a little bit intimidated' ahead of brutal 12-game Wallabies run

With much unfinished business to tend to, Joe Schmidt has detailed the immense challenges confronting the Wallabies as he plots to secure Australia an all-important top-six seeding for the 2027 home Rugby World Cup.

The Wallabies have 12 Test matches between July and November in which to claw their way from eighth in the international rankings to inside the top six before the World Cup draw takes place, likely in December.

A top-six seeding will ensure the Wallabies head up one of the six four-team pools for the quadrennial global showpiece in Australia.

Topping their group will be critical in ensuring the tournament hosts avoid the likes of defending champions South African or fellow heavyweights New Zealand, Ireland or France early in the 16-team knockout stages.

Rugby Australia’s director of high performance Peter Horne laid bare the importance of the Wallabies’ 2025 campaign, which starts against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6.

“We really have got a job to do now,” Horne said at RA’s unveiling of Les Kiss as Schmidt’s successor next year.

“We’ve got 18 Test matches, got a (British and Irish) Lions series, a TRC, a Bledisloe (Cup series), a really important spring tour.

“If we don’t get into the top six, it puts us in a difficult frame for a pool draw for ’27.

“So we’ve got such a heavy plan ahead that we’ve got to deliver on that.”

The Wallabies slumped to an all-time low of 10th in the world, behind even Italy and Fiji, after claiming last year’s Rugby Championship wooden spoon and being condemned to a record 67-27 loss to Argentina in Santa Fe.

But a rousing win over England at Twickenham and victory over Wales have since lifted Schmidt’s side back to eighth in the rankings.

Three matches against the Lions, after the Test opener against Fiji, won’t count towards world rankings points.

But any wins – or defeats – over the Springboks, All Blacks and Pumas during the Rugby Championship will be vital before Australia’s seeding fate will likely be determined during spring-tour Tests against Japan, England, Italy, Ireland and France.

Adding to the degree of difficulty in picking up precious rankings points are back-to-back Tests against the top-ranked Springboks in South Africa in six days.

“I’m a little bit intimidated by the challenges coming up – three Lions Tests and then you’re on a plane to play on the highvelt against South Africa,” Schmidt said.

“All that is a bit intimidating but, geez, what a great challenge.

“We’ve inched our way up those world rankings. Our challenge is to keep working our way up those rankings by being competitive and I don’t think we want to get distracted by outcomes.”

WALLABIES’ 2025 TEST PROGRAM:

v Fiji, Newcastle, July 6

v British and Irish Lions, Brisbane, July 19

v British and Irish Lions, Melbourne, July 26

v British and Irish Lions, Sydney, August 2

v South Africa, Johannesburg, August 17

v South Africa, Cape Town, August 23

v Argentina, Townsville, September 6

v Argentina, Sydney, September 13

v New Zealand, Auckland, September 27

v New Zealand, Perth, October 4

v Japan, Tokyo, October 25

v England, London, November 2

v Italy, November 9, venue TBC

v Ireland, Dublin, November 16

v France, November 23, venue TBC