This was always going to be more than a routine international. HB F Park is the backdrop, but the real story is Joe Schmidt’s last match in charge of the Wallabies — and Australia have wasted little time making it feel like a farewell built on urgency rather than sentiment.
Australia were on the attack early, repeatedly working Italy down one side of the field and forcing the game into a shape that suited them. That mattered because Italy were already under pressure before they had properly settled, and once Australia found a rhythm, they looked intent on turning the contest into a one-way argument.
Australia strike first, Italy answer later
At 14 mins, Paenga-Amosa scored Australia’s first try, giving Schmidt’s side the sort of early control every coach wants in a match like this. Italy did manage to respond when Lamaro scored at 23 mins after TMO confirmation, but that only briefly interrupted the momentum.
Australia were still the sharper side, still the more dangerous side, and still the team asking the questions. Jorgensen added Australia’s fourth try at 25 mins, underlining how quickly the Wallabies were finding gaps and turning pressure into points. By 29 mins, Canham had scored his second try, even if Lonergan missed the conversion.
A farewell with bite
The detail that matters most is not just the scoreline sequence, but the context around it. Schmidt is overseeing his final match in charge of the Wallabies, and Australia have looked determined to send him off by playing with control and purpose rather than drift or sentimentality.
Italy, meanwhile, have had to absorb wave after wave of pressure, and Gonzalo Quesada being absent from the coaches box because he was suspended only sharpens the sense that this has been a difficult evening for them to manage. When Australia are repeatedly attacking one side and finishing chances this efficiently, the opposition quickly gets dragged into survival mode.
That is the uncomfortable truth here: this is not just a farewell for Joe Schmidt, it is a reminder that Australia can still look forceful when they impose themselves early. HB F Park has already given this match a storyline, and the Wallabies have made sure Schmidt’s last game in charge has real bite to it.
