Six Nations champions Ireland’s hopes of completing a clean sweep of the November tests faces a very tough challenge in the shape of Australia, conceded their coach Joe Schmidt.
The 49-year-old New Zealander – who has turned Ireland’s fortunes round since he replaced Declan Kidney after the 2013 Six Nations – was speaking after a massively revamped Irish side had eventually coasted to a 49-7 victory over Georgia at Lansdowne Road.
The win – the sixth in succession for the hosts – saw Ireland rise to third in the IRB rankings for the first time since November 2006, also coincidentally the last time they beat both South Africa and Australia in the same year.
However, Schmidt, whose side beat South Africa last Saturday, said the Wallabies would pose them all sorts of problems despite having been beaten by France this weekend.
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“If you don’t shut the Aussies down they are very very dangerous,” said Schmidt.
“They’ve also got a workaholic defence and Nick Phipps behind the scrum works very hard.
“The French scored very early and got a freak try but other than that the Aussies could have won by 10 points.
“They will be a very tough challenge.”
Schmidt, whose side were a man up over the tiring Georgians for the last 20 minutes after confusion over whether their opponents who had used up all their replacements could replace an injured player Lasha Malaguradze with flyhalf Lasha Khmaladze, said they would be difficult opponents to gauge.
“It is hard to prepare for a team who has recently changed their coach,” said Schmidt, referring to Michael Cheika taking up the role after Ewen McKenzie resigned before the tour.
“We have already noticed they have changed some things and are doing different things.
“They have an abundance of talent but it will be interesting in terms of their selection as several guys have played in all their three matches so far and they have flown in Kurtley Beale.
“It is tough to back up from a match at the Stade de France and Cheiks might be looking now to freshen up the team,” added Schmidt, who succeeded Cheika as Leinster coach in 2010.
Schmidt, who guided Leinster to two European Cup titles and a European Challenge trophy, said the IRB ranking was satisfying but nothing more than that.
“I think it is a distraction,” said Schmidt.
“You don’t win anything for third place in the rankings. We have to be realistic and look at matters on the pitch and know we have to tighten up our scrum and get the set pieces right.
“I think that the ranking is fantastic and a feather in the cap for the fellows who have rolled up their sleeves and worked really hard over the past few months.”
Schmidt professed himself happy with the performance by his side – which showed 13 changes to the starting line-up from the one that beat the Springboks last Saturday – despite a nervy first-half where they failed to finish off some promising moves.
“I thought there was leadership right across the board and great endeavour in the first-half,” he said.
“Obviously it would have been great to have finished off some of those opportunities but we set the stage for the rewards of the second-half.”