Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt dishes on Zac Lomax, Giteau Law as inaugural Nations Championship looms

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been impressed by Zac Lomax's promising start in Super Rugby and is likely to be involved in a Rugby Australia training hub before the inaugural Nations Championship.

Lomax scored a try in his first start for the Western Force to help spark a huge upset against the defending champion Crusaders last weekend.

But even before he'd stepped on the park, Schmidt knew the NRL convert was fair dinkum about his fast track transition ahead of next year's home Rugby World Cup.

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"It's promising signs," Schmidt told Wide World of Sports and News Corp during a 25 minute chat in Hong Kong.

"When I first met him, he's pretty driven... I don't really make promises, but the coaches will get together and certainly have a look at how Zac's shaping up, as compared to the other wingers.

"There's been a couple that have been carrying knocks as well, so it just depends on availability. But what we've done in the past two years is had hubs. So when a team comes out of Super Rugby, we have a hub that is a broader squad than what we end up selecting.

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"We'd definitely be keen to get a guy like Zac into that just so that he can hear some of the language, understand some of the expectations, and get a first hand look at how he's going in training."

Schmidt has three more Tests in charge before he hands the reins to Les Kiss in late July.

Australia host Ireland in Sydney, France in Brisbane and Italy in Perth as Schmidt tries to lift the Wallabies from a current world ranking of eight.

"We've got to be better, because being better for some of the time isn't good enough to be one of the best teams," Schmidt said.

"The best teams are good all the time. Last year, I was gutted with the Eden Park Test - two points behind (the All Blacks) with 10 minutes to go (in a 33-24 loss).

"France and England, those games are in the balance with 20 minutes to go. So you've got to be good enough in that last 20. I did think that's where the fatigue factor kicked in. I just felt that early in the season we were finishing strongly in games, and we just started to peter out."

Peaking for the marquee British and Irish Lions series - and another string of injuries - may partly explain that flat finish to the season.

Schmidt didn't want to use either as an excuse and felt the bones of a strong World Cup team were there.

"They're a really tight, connected bunch. And they're prepared to roll their sleeves up," he said.

"At the sevens here, lots of Aussies in Hong Kong... lots of really positive feedback about where they think the Wallabies are going. I'm just impatient about arriving. We need to get some results."

Schmidt is happy to let Kiss steer his own ship for the remainder of 2026 but is very open to helping his former Ireland assistant next year should he come calling.

Kiss has the Queensland Reds sitting in playoff position with a 5-3 record ahead of their Super Round clash with the Blues in Christchurch on Saturday.

The former league star is vastly experienced but this will be his first job as an international head coach.

"Les builds really good, strong relationships with players," Schmidt said.

"I've always found him really transparent. He'll be honest and direct with players and players know where they stand. If you don't retain their confidence or have their trust, it's very hard to get total buy-in. And then in the chaos that often ensues in a game of rugby, you need them to be committed to the strategy. Harnessing their thoughts and direction is part of what I think Les will do well."

SCHMIDT ON THE CURRENT 'GITEAU LAW'

"Guys like Will Skelton - he's injured and won't be available - but he qualifies under the law of five years of Super or 30 Test matches.

"He kicks both those goals. Tom Hooper is a guy that has had five years involved in Super. So he's a guy whose available to be selected.

"Noah Lolesio has spent enough time (in Australia). So rather than a cap on the number of players, it's going to be individual cases if they've ticked those boxes."

SCHMIDT ON NOAH LOLESIO'S JAPAN INJURY COMEBACK

"He looks like he's playing out of his grade, to be honest. He looks a level above in some of the games that he's played in (second division for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi).

"That's good for his confidence coming back, but it's probably not good preparation - or not the best preparation - for Test matches.

"Because he's looking great with time and space but that's exactly what the opposition will try to take away from us when we play."

SCHMIDT ON THE COMPETITION AT NO.10 BEING WIDE OPEN

"Still waiting for Tommy (Lynagh) to get back fully fit and obviously Carter (Gordon) has had a couple of exceptional moments.

"He's quick, he's got the length in his kicking game, he's going well. Declan Meredith is going well, kind of keeping Tane (Edmed) out of the picture there. Ben Donaldson's going well.

"Having six different 10s last year just made it very difficult to get continuity."

SCHMIDT ON WHETHER SUPER RUGBY PREPARES PLAYERS FOR TESTS

"I think it is a good preparation tool. Watching the Brumbies put 50 points on the Crusaders - you just wouldn't have seen that in the past.

"And people could say, 'that's not preparing you for Test match footy,' but I did watch 48-46 occur at Stade de France (France vs England in the Six Nations).

"Nothing's quite like Test footy I don't think. I don't see Premiership Rugby preparing people for Test rugby and the URC doesn't prepare them to go straight into Test footy."

Sam Worthington travelled to the 2026 Hong Kong Sevens thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Cathay Pacific