Joe Schmidt is hailing the makeshift Wallabies\u2019 resilience after the coach\u2019s self-confessed \u201ccalculated risk\u201d paid off with a nerve-shredding 19-15 victory in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
Schmidt\u2019s so-called \u201cB team\u201d, featuring 13 personnel changes and a new three-Test captain, survived a huge fright to kick off the Wallabies\u2019 spring tour with the critical win over Eddie Jones\u2019 lowly-ranked Japan.<\/p>\n
In driving rain, the depleted Wallabies held on grimly in the second half at Japan\u2019s National Stadium to avoid a first-ever defeat to the truly brave Brave Blossoms on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The tense escape spared Schmidt the blowtorch after he rolled the dice and rested a raft of stars including Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii<\/a>, Max Jorgensen<\/a>, regular skipper Harry Wilson<\/a> and fellow workaholic back-rower Fraser McReight.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it was a risk, but one calculated around the quality of young men that are putting their hand up and trying to work into the mix for the big games coming up,\u201d Schmidt told Stan Sport.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it was great to get those changes out there and to get guys a bit of game time and to build a bit of confidence at the same time.<\/p>\n \u201cI really admired the grit. We actually had to really roll our sleeves up and keep fighting for that one.\u201d<\/p>\n Schmidt singled out Western Force<\/a> captain Jeremy Williams<\/a>, after he was the last lock standing for the Wallabies, and NSW Waratahs<\/a> skipper Jake Gordon<\/a>, who played 80 minutes at halfback in only his second game back from a hamstring injury, for their leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cIn those conditions, it\u2019s just about what we managed to do,\u201d he said after the Wallabies lost powerhouse Lukhan Salakaia-Loto<\/a> just six minutes into the contest, then his replacement second-rower Josh Canham<\/a> a quarter of an hour later.<\/p>\n When Australian-born flanker Ben Gunter<\/a> cut Japan\u2019s deficit to four points with 20 minutes remaining, the home team enjoyed all the momentum as Jones stalked an improbable revenge victory two years after being sacked as Wallabies coach for a second time.<\/p>\n Ranked seventh in the world ahead of four massive Tests in Europe against England, Italy, Ireland<\/a> and France, the Wallabies need to break into the top six by the end of their tour to earn an all-important top-six seeding at the 2027 Rugby World Cup<\/a> on home Australian turf.<\/p>\n A loss to the 13th-ranked Japanese would have been disastrous.<\/p>\n And a repeat of Australia\u2019s historic spring tour defeat in Italy<\/a> in 2022, which precipitated the axing of New Zealand<\/a> coach Dave Rennie, looked on the cards for much of the second half.<\/p>\n Fortunately for Rennie\u2019s compatriot, Schmidt\u2019s gamble to make mass changes and rest star players for Europe came off.<\/p>\n The departures of Salakaia-Loto and Canham forced a scrum reshuffle and the pressure showed as Japan\u2019s forwards applied heat at the set piece, causing chaos at the lineout in particular.<\/p>\n In between the injury carnage, flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny<\/a> marked his surprise Wallabies captaincy debut, in just his third Test, in style with the first try of the match after 12 minutes.<\/p>\n Down a man with prop Shuhei Takeuchi<\/a> in the sin bin, Japan<\/a> opted to take three points in the 26th minute through flyhalf Seungsin Lee<\/a> to reduce the deficit to 7-3.<\/p>\n Josh Flook extended Australia\u2019s lead to 14-3 at halftime after the centre cashed in on a midfield break from fullback Andrew Kellaway.<\/p>\n