SCHMIDT DEPARTS WALLABIES AFTER 12 WINS IN 31 TESTS

Joe Schmidt's tenure as Australia coach ended with a 57-10 victory over Italy in Perth on Saturday. Josh Canham scored a hat-trick as the Wallabies produced a dominant performance in Schmidt's final match. The result marked Schmidt's 12th win across 31 Tests, yielding a winning percentage of just under 39%.

Schmidt's record places him among the lower-performing coaches in Australian rugby's professional era, with only Dave Rennie and Eddie Jones during his second spell recording worse win rates. The departing coach inherited a side weakened by his predecessor's tenure and oversaw a rebuilding operation that failed to gather significant momentum. Australia arrived at Saturday's match on a six-Test losing streak, having won just one of their previous ten fixtures.

Despite the final scoreline, Schmidt leaves the Wallabies with a deeper playing group than he inherited. He handed 27 debuts across his 31 Tests, broadening Australia's pool of international-level players following the 2023 World Cup. Les Kiss, Schmidt's successor, assumes charge of a squad with greater experience, though recorded shortages of heavyweight forwards remain an identified weakness. Schmidt also established a defined attacking method that the incoming coach will build upon.