Joe Schmidt throws serious doubt on Australia’s chances of beating Lions after narrow Fiji escape

Joe Schmidt admitted Australia’s shaky 21-18 victory over Fiji will have reinforced the British and Irish Lions’ status as favourites to win the Test series.

It took a 78th-minute try from back-rower Harry Wilson to save the Wallabies from an embarrassing defeat less than two weeks out from the opener against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.

Fiji were rampant in the second half in Newcastle and Schmidt insisted that “quiet resolve” rather than outright conviction would be his team’s currency during the three Tests against Andy Farrell’s tourists.

“We didn’t play well enough for people to have the expectation that we’re going to come bowling into Brisbane and knock the Lions over. I’m not sure that expectation was there before Fiji,” head coach Schmidt said.

“There’s not real confidence, but there’s a quiet resolve. And that quiet resolve, hopefully over the three-match series, can build to something that will earn us the support of a very interested group.

“We haven’t been together for six months. To have five trainings and to be seamless would be an expectation that I hoped for, rather than immediately believed would happen. Now we have another short runway to improve on where we were against Fiji.”

Not only did Australia scrape home in a game that saw a Fijian try by Sireli Maqala controversially ruled out, but they also lost fly-half Noah Lolesio with 20 minutes to go after his head hit the ground during a tackle by Elia Canakaivata.

Schmidt is hopeful that Lolesio will only be a short-term absentee after providing a positive update on the 25-year-old playmaker.

“The first question Noah asked me was ‘did we win?’. He was still very much focused on the game and he appeared to be in good shape. That’s the most important thing,” Schmidt said.

“It was whiplash and his head hit the ground. I’m hopeful that that will be something that resolves itself reasonably quickly. But we won’t take any risks that we don’t need to.”