Former Leinster head coach Matt Williams has leveled sharp criticism at Joe Schmidt for what he describes as 'bad coaching decisions' during his tenure with the Wallabies, particularly pinpointing errors that he believes cost Australia dearly in their series against the British and Irish Lions. Despite these missteps, Williams acknowledged Schmidt's overall positive impact on the team, especially after a lackluster Rugby World Cup performance under Eddie Jones.
While Schmidt has been credited with a significant turnaround for the Wallabies, Williams voiced his skepticism about the team's long-term prospects. "It's too early to say," Williams stated on the DSPN podcast, regarding whether Rugby Australia’s fortunes have permanently shifted for the better. He did, however, praise Schmidt for sparking a revival and noted, "Joe deserves a lot of credit, but no matter how bad our system is here, and it is really bad, we can still put out 25 pretty decent players."
The critique extends to the Wallabies' current half-back situation, which Williams finds particularly troubling. The team has been experimenting with less experienced players in critical roles, a move underscored by an emergency recall for James O'Connor. "Our nines and tens remain a major problem," Williams elaborated. He highlighted the inexperienced Tom Lynagh and Tane Edmed, who, despite showing promise, have displayed inconsistencies at the Test level.
"What Joe's done is he's kept this core group of players, and a great example is Harry Wilson; he picked him as captain, and I thought, 'Wow, I didn't see that'. Harry has developed and grown into an excellent captain."
Williams did not shy away from pinpointing specific instances where Schmidt's selections faltered, such as the exclusion of tighthead prop Taniela Tupou from the first two Tests against the Lions. "He didn’t pick him for the first couple of Lions’ Tests, and he should have. He was out of form, he was hopeless around the field, but he held up the scrum," Williams pointed out, suggesting that a stronger scrum could have swayed the series in Australia's favor.
Despite the criticisms, Williams conceded that Schmidt has shown growth in his role, particularly in how he has managed player development and built team resilience, evidenced by their comeback win against South Africa at Ellis Park. "That is not the bounce of the ball; that is a team that believes it can do something," he remarked on the Wallabies' performance under Schmidt's guidance.