Joe Schmidt praised Australia’s fighting spirit after a thunderous finish to the series against the Lions, and a fairytale send-off for veteran Nic White.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt hailed his side’s “grit and resilience” after they stunned the British & Irish Lions in a drenched, lightning-disrupted finale in Sydney on Saturday.

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Backed into a corner after narrow defeats in Brisbane and Melbourne, the Wallabies came out swinging- racing to an early lead and never letting the Lions settle, closing out a deserved 22-12 victory in testing conditions.

“I’m just relieved and incredibly proud,” said Schmidt.

“We worked really hard to build that 8-0 lead. Coming off after the lightning could’ve destabilised things, so to stay focused and defend well was a real testament to the players’ character.”

“It wasn’t pretty,” he admitted.

“It was all about grit and resilience. I really admired the way the players came through, they did just enough to get the job done.”

With several first-choice players ruled out including Rob Valetini, Allan Alaalatoa, David Porecki and Harry Potter, Australia dug deep to deliver their best performance of the series.

Saturday’s win also gave Nic White the perfect send-off, as the veteran scrumhalf bowed out after 73 Tests.

“What a game, that had everything,” said White.

“It wasn’t always champagne rugby, but we were committed. Sometimes we used our skill, other times it was sheer desperation. It’s pretty nice to finish with a win.”

The victory not only avoided a series whitewash but signalled a promising step forward under Schmidt, who has been tasked with rebuilding the Wallabies after a dismal 2023 World Cup campaign.

A massive shout out to all our fans in Green and Gold 🙌

Your support drives us on 🦘#Wallabies #ACheerAndAHalf #LionsTour2025 pic.twitter.com/HqqdsRQSey

— Wallabies (@wallabies) August 2, 2025

Photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images