'One of my biggest disappointments': Joe Schmidt opens up on Wallabies 'kryptonite,' Giteau Law stars in roundtable discussion

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has kept a low profile this year, largely due to the uncertainty that was hovering over his contract situation with Rugby Australia.

But with an extension until July next year locked away, and the British and Irish Lions squad confirmed, it was time to hear from the man who is trying to outfox his former assistant Andy Farrell across three Tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

Here are the highlights from Schmidt's nearly 30 minute roundtable chat with reporters over coffee in a RA boardroom at Moore Park.

Watch all the action from the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia on Stan Sport, the only place to watch every match live and on demand

AUSTRALIA'S 'KRYPTONITE'

Schmidt's record with the Wallabies reads six wins and seven losses after a maiden 2024 campaign in which he experimented heavily and used 47 players.

Steve Hansen used to talk about the "rock under the beach towel" if the All Blacks lost their last game of the calendar year.

And it's clear that the season ending in defeat to Ireland was nagging away at Schmidt at Lake Taupo.

"The biggest work on is probably consistency throughout the game. One of my biggest disappointments, probably with the Irish game, you're 13-5 up at halftime and we all make a commitment that we're going to keep playing. We're going out to win the second half," Schmidt said.

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"And then I kind of felt like we tried to defend the lead, and defending a lead against a team that are as efficient, and they weren't as efficient as they had been, in Ireland but they're still efficient enough that if they get near the 22 enough times and they get platforms of five metre lineouts, and those sort of things, that becomes our kryptonite.

"We're very, very sapped trying to defend those things successively when they accumulate. So for us, just committing to what we're doing will be really important.

"I don't think that we can come out against the Lions and say, right, let's try to shut the game down. They have power, skill, they have speed.

"So they can play in a number of ways and whatever way they play, we're going to have to try to play our game."

THE GITEAU LAW

RA's Giteau Law - a policy of picking overseas stars for the Wallabies - has been a moving feast for some time.

Schmidt didn't give much away in regards to selection with Super Rugby Pacific still bubbling away but he said calling in the international cavalry remained a live option.

"I stay in touch with those guys who are overseas," Schmidt said.

"My worry with Will (Skelton) was that he missed a fair bit of time but he's starting to get those minutes back up again. We haven't made any hard and fast decisions, but we obviously used Will, Samu (Kerevi) and Marika (Koroibete last year.

"I've spoken about James (O'Connor). Potentially there's other guys like Pete Samu, who's committed to coming back at some stage.

"Even the guys who are going like Tom Hooper and Langi Gleeson, I do think we'll see them back playing for the Wallabies at some stage. And so we don't want to discount anyone because, as Andy has done, they've picked a form squad.

"We would love to pick a form squad. But, as I've always said, if there's anything that we think is 50/50, it's more difficult to absorb someone in from the outside the groups that play together already."

NEW PODCAST! Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt previews the British and Irish Lions series on Between Two Posts and gives some insight into his selection criteria

NO COTTON WOOL FOR SUAALII

It was a scary weekend of Super Rugby for Schmidt, with Wallabies stars Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Noah Lolesio stretchered off the field after nasty incidents in Sydney and Canberra respectively.

Suaalii was diagnosed with concussion while the extent of Lolesio's back injury is yet to be confirmed.

Schmidt was confident both would be back on the park soon and there was no thought of asking the NSW Waratahs to keep Suaalii in cotton wool for the Lions.

"I'm keen to see him keep playing, I think that he's missed a few games already this season, he hasn't had that many games anyway," Schmidt said.

"For Joseph, I think it's important that he just keeps playing when he's fit and available to play, I think he probably will miss this game against the Crusaders, but all going well, he'll hopefully be back for the next one (against the Force)."

Schmidt also revealed that Waratahs coach Dan McKellar had asked him whether he wanted him to play at outside centre, rather than fullback, in Super Rugby.

"And I said, 'I just want him with his boots on playing the game'," Schmidt said.

"I think one of the beauties of playing 15 is you see the whole game in front of you, and so for Joseph, he's had that opportunity. But then they don't use him like a normal 15 either. I thought he was going really well until he got that knock in Friday's game, but he's OK and that's the main thing going forward."

ENGLAND'S BOY WONDER

The biggest talking point of the Lions squad was the selection of England's boy wonder Henry Pollock.

The freakish loose forward was picked after playing just half an hour of Test rugby.

He already has a highlights reel better than most 10 year international players.

"Henry Pollock - he was exceptional when he hit that flat ball and took off and rounded Sam Prendergast (in the Premiership). He's so strong over the ball.

"He's a very, very promising player considering he was playing in the England under-20s at the start of the Six Nations and came through and ended up playing for the senior side.

"Not many players get to do that, particularly not in the forwards. I think Caelan Doris getting injured, maybe had to reshape late their backrow selections.

"That may have been something that aided Henry Pollock and also the immediacy of that standout performance or a couple of standout performances as well."

SPORT AND POLITICS DON'T MIX

Coaching the Lions is one of the most unique challenges in world sport.

Farrell has to bring together the best players from four nations - Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales - and find cohesion, both on and off the pitch, in a short space of time.

Wide World of Sports asked Schmidt how his former right hand man would handle the task.

"He will, as best he can, ignore the politics. He will be all about performance. And so it will be best combinations, what he sees, and the coaches - he's got real confidence in those coaches around him.

"It won't be political. And I think that's even relevant in the squad they've chosen. I think it's a really form squad, I don't think they were being political."