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Joe Schmidt has highlighted the danger of his high-spirited Wallabies having their British Isles grand slam hopes destroyed by one of their own.
Schmidt plays down growing hopes that his touring team is heading for a first four-match clean sweep at home in four decades and outlines the threat posed by a Scottish team boosted by its new, inspirational Australian leader.
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“We have our own Sione Tuipulotu who is leading Scotland at the moment,” smiled Schmidt as he reflected on the third leg of the Wallabies’ quest in Edinburgh after wins at Twickenham and Cardiff were a potential minefield.
Born and raised in Melbourne but qualified for his adopted rugby country through his Scottish grandmother, Tuipulotu has impressed everyone since handing over the reins to the team for the November tests.
A stylish, barnstorming center who is credited by Scotland coach Gregor Townsend with “setting the emotional tone and mentality required for the team while making a significant contribution to both our attack and defence”. Tuipulotu looks like one of those talents that got away.
The 27-year-old, who played for the Australian Under-20s, couldn’t quite cut it at home for the Rebels so set off on a world tour that saw him reinvent his rugby life in Japan and then Scotland with the Glasgow Warriors playing the leading role in overcoming from his share of lonely, hard times along the way.
But now he has emerged as the leader of a team that is currently as confident of competing internationally at the end of the year as the Wallabies.
After guiding Scotland to an impressive 57-17 thrashing of Fiji, Tuipulotu’s men gave the world champions Springboks a bit of a scare before succumbing 32-15 as a second-string side defeated Portugal 59-21 at the weekend.
With temperatures dropping in Edinburgh this week and Murrayfield offering a potentially hair-raising new examination of its resurgent team, Schmidt warned: “I think they will be very tough… I have huge respect for this Scottish team.
“They play a fast game, they put enormous pressure on the breakdown with a good loose attacking trio. Their tight-five also went very well.
“And when you get the ball to Finn Russell he’s a bit of a magician. Darcy Graham is fantastic for them, while Duhan van der Merwe is a threat on the edges.
“They also have such good depth. They can add another player and be very effective.”
Over the last six Murrayfield meetings the sides have won three each, with all but one of the games decided by a margin of six points or less. The Scots won the other with a blowout.
All this convinces Schmidt to say he hasn’t even looked as far as the tour-ending clash with his former team, Ireland, the following week.
As for the ‘grand slam’, he shrugs: “I’ll put that on the back burner.”