Schmidt optimistic for Wallabies ahead of Lions tour

DUBLIN : Australia coach Joe Schmidt sounded an optimistic note even after the Wallabies lost to Ireland on Saturday as he now turns his attention to the British & Irish Lions tour next year.

The narrow 22-19 defeat in Dublin saw Australia end their November tour of the home unions with wins over England and Wales but defeat to Scotland and Ireland in the last two fixtures.

Australia host the Lions to three tests in July and August with Schmidt mandated to produce a side capable of winning despite many predictions of a Lions’ whitewash.

“I was proud of the team, I think they demonstrated a little bit of the grit that you need,” he said of Saturday’s showing.\

The Wallabies ended their 2014 calendar with six wins and seven losses and Schmidt capping 19 new players in a bid to expand the available pool for the Lions

“We’ve got some guys who have only a played a couple of tests and they are still learning. The Super Rugby window will be great for them.”

There will be four Australian teams in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific competition, which starts in February, after the Melbourne Rebels folded. They are the ACT Brumbies, New South Wales Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Perth-based Western Force.

But before Super Rugby gets underway, Schmidt will get some time with his players

“We’ll get together for a couple of days from January 8-10 and that will allow us to sign off on this year and plot our way ahead and then we get together a week or two before the Lions arrive,” he told reporters.

“That in itself is a real challenge, but I do think we’ve built enough confidence and cohesion this year that we can pick it up again late June, early July next year,” he insisted.

The game against Ireland gave Australia chance for a morale boosting win