They’ve never beaten the Wallabies and sit well outside the top ten on the World Rugby rankings, but Matt To’omua believes Georgia will represent a harder proposition than Wales for Joe Schmidt’s young side.
“I think Georgia will be harder than Wales,” To’omua said on The Roar Rugby podcast.
After coming off consecutive wins against Wales, the experienced New Zealand coach flagged making more changes to his side for Saturday’s afternoon fixture against Georgia – the nation Eddie Jones’ Wallabies beat 35-15 to start their dreaded World Cup pool last year.
“There probably will be a couple of changes,” Schmidt said following the eight-point win against Wales in Melbourne last weekend.
“We made five changes this week and there could be that many again.
“You’re trying to build cohesion.
“It’s a little bit of a different or difficult equilibrium that you’re trying to find between that continuation of confidence and continuity and then offering opportunity.”
Wallabies winger Filipo Daugunu is joined by Josh Nasser after scoring a match-winning try against Wales at AAMI Park on July 13, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
To’omua said hearing Schmidt indicate some changes were on the way made him “nervous”.
It’s easy to understand why too, with the Wallabies struggling to put away sides in the past that historically suggest should be easier.
In 2011, Samoa rocked Robbie Deans’ Wallabies on the eve of the Tri Nations by shocking them 32-23 in Sydney.
Scotland beat the Wallabies in the wet 9-6 in Newcastle a year later.
A decade later, Dave Rennie’s three-year tenure with the Wallabies was on life support after losing to Italy in Florence 28-27.
Had Ben Donaldson not missed a late conversion attempt, Rennie would surely have taken the Wallabies to the 2023 World Cup.
In all three shock defeats, the Wallabies tested their depth and made mass changes.
But To’omua, who played a strong part in the Wallabies’ 2015 and 2019 World Cups, cautioned against making wholesale changes despite the temptation of using his squad ahead of a difficult Rugby Championship next month.
“I definitely get nervous about rotating a squad that doesn’t have a whole lot of experience,” he said.
“I know it sounds weird, but Sydney hasn’t always been our happiest hunting ground.
“Rotating there is interesting. You’ve got to build depth, you’ve got to build a squad, but primarily you might have to build a 15. It will be interesting.
“I know coaches in the past have said when we’ve lost, in particular, I think in Argentina, over there where coaches were surprised and thought ‘I could rotate the squad, I thought we had the depth to win that.’ But we got our pants pulled down.
“It’s surprised coaches in the past, in particular, Kiwi coaches who are used to being able to pick three guys in the one position.
“Australian rugby isn’t that way. If you look at a guy like [Wallabies assistant coach] Laurie Fisher, how he has typically selected, it’s the best team always for the next game. He never really looks at that.
“Whilst there might be some limiting factors in that, I think that’s actually probably a really good understanding of Australian rugby and our mentality. We like backs up against the wall. We like to fight. Being able to bank a win and blood some new guys maybe isn’t really in our psyche. It could be interesting.”
Matt To’omua has cautioned against Joe Schmidt making sweeping changes ahead of Saturday’s Test against Georgia in Sydney. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Of the 23 that took the field in Paris to beat Georgia to kick start their World Cup campaign last year, nine members remain in Schmidt’s squad.
Donaldson, who started at fullback and finished his afternoon with 25 points, said on Monday the Wallabies could take some confidence from the victory.
But To’omua was adamant it was a “banana skin” clash for the Wallabies.
“If we start swapping guys around, that’s a potential hurdle,” he said. “
“Two, third game in a row, third Test is always a little bit more difficult.
“And an eye on us thinking, oh, ‘it’s Georgia, we’re in Sydney, it’s comfortable. We’re thinking about the Boks’ in three weeks.’
“I just think when anyone would have looked at it, we would have gone, oh, we’ve got two games against Wales, a throwaway one against Georgia, and then we got the TRC. I just think it’s a potential banana skin, that’s for sure.
“But, look, the best thing about this Wallabies team, the biggest asset we have is our coaching staff: [Mike] Crony, Laurie, and Joe Schmidt, these are guys who have been there, done that, and there will definitely be no sense of complacency in the squad.”
Matt To’omua says the Wallabies need to pick their best side against Georgia, with a view of who will be taking on the Springboks. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Should the Wallabies make changes, To’omua cautioned about tweaking the pack, especially given they will take on the back-to-back world champions in Brisbane early next month.
“I wouldn’t tweak for giving guys a rest,” To’omua said.
“None of them played in the final for Super Rugby and there’s three weeks between games. They don’t need a rest.
“I think we need to obviously keep an eye on South Africa. What’s our best squad? If it’s Lenny Ikitau playing that game, then he needs game time, he needs a Test much under his belt.
“If it’s Allan [Alaalatoa] starting against South Africa and ‘Nella’ [Taniela Tupou] taking care of the bomb squad in the last 30, then, let’s do that now.
“For me, rather than resting policy, I think it would be more tactical around getting minutes into guys legs. I don’t think anyone requires a freshen-up.
“I think guys very much need more time, particularly in the pack. I would be wanting guys like [Jeremy] Williams and that to have three Test matches in a row, getting beaten up and realising what a Test match is because I don’t know if I’ve seen a more physical pack than the South African pack at the moment.
“It’ll be a rude shock if they have a week off and freshen their legs and then you’re up against Eben Etzebeth.”
