Nine months ahead of the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour, Wallabies great David Campese has claimed Australia “should not have a Kiwi head coach”, adding three-time Six Nations title winner Joe Schmidt “hasn’t won anything.”
Schmidt, who took over as Australia boss on a two-year deal in January following Eddie Jones’ disastrous second spell, coached Ireland from 2013 to 2019, winning the Six Nations in 2014, 2015 and 2018 – the latter of those a Grand Slam – and was recognised as the World Rugby coach of the year in 2018.
He also guided Ireland to a 2-1 series victory over the Wallabies in Australia in 2018.
The 59-year-old was assistant coach for the All Blacks from 2022, working as part of the set-up that took New Zealand to the 2023 World Cup final in Paris, where they narrowly lost to South Africa by a point.
“I don’t believe we should have a Kiwi coach,” Campese, a World Cup winner with Australia in 1991 and Sport Australia Hall of Famer told The Rugby Paper.
“I was in New Zealand last week for the Test and they all said: ‘Isn’t Schmidt a good coach,’ I said: ‘Why? What has he actually won?’ He hasn’t won anything.
“Yes, he might have won a Six Nations, but the World Cup is the ultimate for any sports player or coach, and he hasn’t won anything.
“We always seem to get a coach that has never won anything. We always seem to get the second-best Kiwi coach, never the first-best.
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Highlights of the Rugby Championship match between Argentina and Australia as the Wallabies shipped a record number of points in their Test match history
“Even though, I must admit, the Kiwis are not anywhere near where they should be. I mean, they’re a very ordinary team at the moment, even though they beat us last week.
“Joe Schmidt has got no idea about our culture or history. We’re mauling the ball from 22 metres out. We don’t do that, that’s not Australian rugby.
“We’re used to counterattack and attack from anywhere. We can’t even do that.
“I just think it’s very sad that we have to go through this again with another Kiwi coach.”
Campese won the 1991 Rugby World Cup as a player, as part of a superb career
Schmidt began his career as Australia head coach with a 2-1 series victory over a struggling Wales side on home soil back in July, but a chastening Rugby Championship campaign followed.
The Wallabies suffered five defeats from six Tests, including an embarrassing 67-27 defeat in Argentina, back-to-back home losses to South Africa, and home and away defeats to the All Blacks.
Such a performance left them rotted to the foot of the final Rugby Championship standings.
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Schmidt said the manner of Australia’s defeat to Argentina was ‘unacceptable’
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Australia captain Harry Wilson shared his emotions after a record defeat to Argentina in the Rugby Championship
Australia next play England (November 9), Wales (November 17), Scotland (November 24) and Ireland (November 30) as part of their autumn schedule.
Thereafter, the Wallabies will welcome the British and Irish Lions to Australia, with Tests on July 19, July 26 and August 2, all live on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports to show 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests and six warm-up matches to be shown live.
The agreement sees Sky Sports broadcast its eighth consecutive Lions Tour, with the partnership starting in 1997 with the iconic 2-1 series win over South Africa.
The Lions tasted success the last time they were on Australian soil in 2013, with a dramatic 2-1 series win following a memorable performance in the decisive final Test.
Having been defeated in a Covid-impacted tour of South Africa back in 2021, the Lions will be aiming to make it a second successive series win in Australia as they kick off the first Test at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
The Lions will play nine games on tour all around Australia, beginning against Western Force in Perth on June 28, 2025.
Further tour games follow against Queensland Reds in Brisbane on July 2, the Waratahs in Sydney on July 5, the Brumbies in Canberra on July 9, an Invitational Australia & New Zealand side in Adelaide on July 12 and the Rebels in Melbourne on July 22.
That game will take place after the opening Test in Brisbane on July 19, with the second Test at the MCG in Melbourne on July 26 and the final Test in the Accor Stadium in Sydney on August 2.
The Lions will also play in Ireland for the first time as they take on Argentina in a June 2025 warm-up fixture, also live on Sky Sports, ahead of their tour of Australia.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.