![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big ask to suddenly be thrust into it.\u201d Schmidt said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeclan\u2019s had 10 days with us effectively, so he\u2019s had a chance to build a bit of confidence and hopefully to add a bit of continuity … (but) we thought that it would be a three-week window where he could get a little bit comfortable, learn a bit about how we play, and then maybe be able to express himself in the next window (of international games), but we don\u2019t control all those elements.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited but I\u2019m always apprehensive about anyone coming in and having to run the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had so many changes at (flyhalf). It\u2019s just been really hard to get consistency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s the right decision but it\u2019s the decision we made in the context of the timeframe we had.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meredith\u2019s cause will be aided by having his ACT Brumbies teammate Ryan Lonergan as his halves partner.<\/p>\n
Brumbies playmaker Declan Meredith will make his Wallabies debut on Saturday. Picture: Mark Metcalfe\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a pairing that\u2019s had a little bit of experience together,\u201d Schmidt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe (Meredith) is a multi-faceted player. He\u2019s brave, he\u2019s very much trying to learn as much as he can, and he\u2019ll get some good help around him.\u201d <\/p>\n
Meredith\u2019s inclusion is one of two changes to the team that started in Australia\u2019s 33-31 loss to Ireland in Sydney last Saturday.<\/p>\n
The other change is at fullback, where Brumbies custodian Tom Wright replaces Queensland Reds star Jock Campbell, who has been dropped to the bench, where he can cover for both Wright and Meredith.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought he was good last weekend,\u201d Schmidt said of Campbell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been talking to him (Campbell) for a while about covering 10 and 15 as a player. Even in the game last week he got into that pivot position a few times.<\/p>\n
Schmidt said his squad had \u201creset\u201d in Brisbane after a \u201ctough ending\u201d against the Irish.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have worked hard on continuing to improve after missing some vital opportunities last weekend,\u201d Schmidt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know we can be better on Saturday, and we know that we will need to be against the back-to-back Six Nations champions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apart from Meredith, others to brought into the 23-man for the battle with the French are Western Force back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny and Reds outside back Filipo Daugunu, who have both been named on the bench.<\/p>\n
Wallabies: Angus Bell, Josh Nasser, Allan Alaalatoa, Josh Canham, Jeremy Williams, Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c), Ryan Lonergan, Declan Meredith, Dylan Pietsch, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright. Bench: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Shaw, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, Jock Campbell, Filipo Daugunu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt admits he\u2019s \u201capprehensive\u201d about thrusting the uncapped Declan Meredith into Australia\u2019s chief playmaking role…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":788752,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-788751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}