Wallabies survive Fiji flair for comeback victory

Coach Joe Schmidt was feeling both frustration and relief after the Wallabies escaped with a last-gasp win over Fiji in their only Test before tackling the British and Irish Lions.

The Wallabies were staring down the barrel of another historic loss to Fiji before a 79th minute try by skipper Harry Wilson secured a 21-18 victory in Newcastle in their Sunday afternoon clash.

Fiji were looking to bank successive victories over Australia for the first time; the teams clashing for the first time since the Wallabies’ World Cup horror show in 2023 in France.

Swys De Bruin after Bok Women’s defeat to Canada

Swys De Bruin after Bok Women’s defeat to Canada

Despite perfect conditions in front of a 28,000-strong crowd and with the prime ministers of both countries in the stands, the Wallabies’ bumbling performance overshadowed the Lions’ own struggles ahead of the July 19 series opener in Brisbane after the tourists battled to see off an undermanned Waratahs outfit in Sydney on Saturday night.

The Wallabies blew a 14-0 lead through inaccuracy and aimless kicking, with playmaker Noah Lolesio opting against sending the ball dead at halftime and instead putting through a dinky kick through that Fiji pounced on for a try.

Lolesio was stretchered from the field in the 60th minute after his head slammed into the turf while hooker Dave Porecki was also an early casualty with concussion ahead of the Lions squad naming on Friday.

Fiji dominated the second half, hitting the lead 15-14 in the 55th minute, and were desperately unlucky not to have scored again when the Television Match Official denied the try because Australian winger Harry Potter went into touch before the ball was turned over for the Fiji raid.

“Some of it was frustration and some of it was relief,” said Schmidt.

“To find ourselves in that situation after we built a nice lead early in the game … it was certainly a relief when Harry got over and dotted it down, that’s for sure.”

Schmidt conceded that the looming Lions may have affected their performance, despite trying to keep their focus strictly on the dangerous Fijians.

“I think it is inevitable to a degree … we were watching the game last night with the Waratahs playing the Lions.

“I’ve no doubt that that might leak in, but I certainly wouldn’t be looking to use it as an excuse.”

Schmidt said there was a “myriad” of things they needed to work on, including skill execution with a try in each half disallowed due to a forward pass from fullback Tom Wright.

He thought the scrum and lineout functioned well, but was another work-on before the Lions.

“Because if you put those things together, you’re already in a lot stronger position in terms of controlling the result, at least.

“We haven’t been together for six months and have had five trainings and to be seamless would be an expectation that I’d hoped for rather than believed would immediately happen.

“So now we have another short runway to try to improve from where we were today.”

While the showing will add weight to expectation of a clean sweep by the Lions, who are unbeaten in three matches against Super side, Schmidt felt nothing really had changed for his team.

“We didn’t play well enough today for people to have the expectation that we’re going to come bowling into Brisbane and knock the Lions over.

“But I’m not sure that expectation was there before today.

“We’re just going to have to build that quiet resolve, that inch by inch we can work our way toward that.”