Schmidt frustrated despite Wallabies' 21–18 escape over Fiji

The Wallabies held off a brave Fiji side to register a 21–18 victory in Newcastle, but head coach Joe Schmidt was far from impressed with the performance.

In his typically blunt style, Schmidt criticised his side’s poor execution, lack of composure, and inability to build consistent pressure throughout the match.

Despite starting strong and leading for most of the game, Australia never truly pulled away. Fiji clawed back into the contest repeatedly, capitalising on Wallaby errors and converting pressure into points.

While the scoreboard showed a three-point win, the manner in which it was achieved did little to reassure Schmidt.

“It was a get-out-of-jail job,” said Schmidt. “We got the win, but we didn’t play smart rugby. At times, we just handed them momentum.”

Schmidt was particularly frustrated with Australia’s attack and discipline.

“We were too loose in our carries, made poor decisions at key moments, and let ourselves down in the contact zone,” he explained.

“Our line-out faltered and our breakdown work wasn’t clinical enough. That’s not the standard we set.”

With possession often squandered inside the Fijian 22, the Wallabies failed to kill the game off when they had chances, leaving the door open for a late Fijian surge.

The coach, however, praised Fiji’s resilience and organisation.

“They brought energy, structure, and physicality. Their offloads and speed put us under pressure,” Schmidt said. “They’re not a team you can take lightly anymore—and they showed why today.”

Fiji pushed hard until the final whistle and came close to breaking Australian hearts, falling just short after a valiant second-half effort.

Looking ahead, Schmidt made it clear that squad places are up for grabs.

“We’ll need to reflect hard. There are some areas we need to fix—urgently. No one is guaranteed a jersey,” he warned.