It was the news that Wallabies fans did not want to hear but ultimately, it was not a surprise in the end. After months of speculation, Joe Schmidt has confirmed he will leave his post as Wallabies coach in 2025.
The silver lining in this announcement is that Schmidt will stay on for a few more months than intended and will depart following the Rugby Championship in October. Schmidt’s original contract was until the end of the Lions series but with a short timeframe between the last test in the series and the commencement of the Rugby Championship it left little time for any new coach to embed their own style.
Schmidt has turned around the Wallabies fortunes after coming in at one the lowest points in Wallabies history. The results of the Spring Tour, where the Wallabies split their four games has lifted the spirits and mood of the Rugby public ahead of the Lions tour later this year.
The best part of those results is that it shut up a few pundits and ‘experts’ from the north who suggest a Lions tour to Australia would be a complete waste of time.
The focus now is on appointing a new head coach and with that comes some key decisions from players coming off contract in 2025. The likes of Len Ikitau and Langi Gleeson have already signalled their intentions, although Ikitau is likely to come back after a sabbatical and the next decision will be the next piece of the puzzle with two years to go until the next World Cup.
There have already been a few names thrown around as to who the next coach will be. Irishman Ronan O’Gara has suggested he is interested and there has been talk about Michael Cheika might return. Cheika’s involvement is a curious one as Rugby Australia have already been burnt by having a former coach come back after the disastrous Eddie Jone 2.0 period.
