Schmidt Leaves Wallabies with Gifts of Canham and Lonergan 2026

The Wallabies ended the Joe Schmidt era like a struggling restaurant producing one of its finest meals on the night the head chef handed back his keys. Everything came together: the service was sharp, the ingredients were handled with care, but loyal patrons left wondering why the place could not function like this every week. Italy were swept aside 57-10 in Perth on Saturday, with Josh Canham completing a hat-trick as the home side produced the sort of precise, powerful performance that offered a tribute to their departing coach.

Schmidt's Legacy and the Wallabies' Revival

Joe Schmidt leaves the Wallabies after 31 Tests, with a winning percentage of just under 39%. Among Wallabies coaches of the professional era, only Dave Rennie and Eddie Jones – in his disastrous second stint – have fared worse. Schmidt inherited the rubble left by Jones and deserves that context, but the rebuilding operation never gathered much pace. Australia arrived at his farewell on a six-Test losing streak, having won one of their previous 10. This emphatic sendoff could not transform the record into anything resembling a revival, but it did showcase the depth Schmidt cultivated.

Josh Canham: The Rising Star

Canham is as useful a place to start as any. The 25-year-old was Australia’s best player in this home leg of the Nations Championship, an athletic lock who carried dynamically, worked accurately at the lineout and seemed to materialise whenever a try needed scoring. His three on Saturday provided a gaudy flourish, though each owed something to a pack that dominated the maul, recycled relentlessly near the line and finally looked capable of imposing itself rather than merely hanging on. Schmidt handed out 27 debuts in 31 Tests, leaving the Wallabies with a broader group of players exposed to international rugby than he found after the 2023 World Cup.

Comparison: Schmidt vs. Recent Wallabies Coaches

Key Takeaways from Schmidt's Tenure

• 27 debuts in 31 Tests expanded the player pool significantly.
• Josh Canham emerged as a dynamic lock and try-scoring threat.
• The Wallabies ended a six-Test losing streak with a dominant 57-10 win.
• Les Kiss inherits a deeper, though still developing, squad.

What Lies Ahead for Les Kiss

Not all players are finished products, and there remains a shortage of heavyweight forwards, but Les Kiss takes charge of a deeper and more experienced group. The challenge now is to build on this momentum and address the inconsistency that plagued Schmidt’s tenure. With Canham and Lonergan as key pieces, the Wallabies have a foundation to work from.

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