Ex-Waratahs coach and current Ireland-based pundit Matt Williams believes that the British and Irish Lions have \u201cbadly misjudged\u201d their complaints over the understrength Australian franchises.<\/b><\/p>\n
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has decided to withhold his best players for the pre-Test tour games, which has irked the visitors.<\/p>\n
The Lions<\/a> have claimed that Schmidt and Rugby Australia<\/a> are breaching the agreed contract by not releasing their Test stars.<\/p>\n They have allowed a smattering of players to appear for their teams, with the Western Force, Reds and Waratahs boosted by the likes of Dylan Pietsch, Ben Donaldson, Hunter Paisami and Taniela Tupou, but most of those will not be in action during the Wallabies\u2019 international against Fiji on Sunday.<\/p>\n That is being seen as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Test series which starts on July 19 and Williams insists that Schmidt<\/a> is right to stand firm amidst the criticism.<\/p>\n \u2018Loud and ignorant complaints\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThe management of the Lions have cast their own dark and stormy clouds across Australia as they have badly misjudged the reaction to their loud and ignorant complaints about the Wallaby players not being included in the Australian provincial games,\u201d he wrote in his Irish Times<\/a> column.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite the fact the Wallabies are playing Fiji on Sunday, the Lions management strangely appears to have expected Joe Schmidt to not prepare his team for a Test match and send his players back to their provinces for the benefit of the Lions.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams has also warned the Lions about potentially getting too carried away, insisting that the pre-Test games will never give a true indication as to how the series will go.<\/p>\n \u201cThe uncomfortable fact for the Lions management is that despite these provincial victories and the perceived weakness of Australian rugby, every Lions series played Down Under since 1989 has been determined in the deciding third Test,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile all of that is ancient history, the Lions of 2025 should view their history with caution and respect, while keeping in mind that Schmidt was not only Ireland\u2019s coach, he is also the former assistant coach of New Zealand. The man knows how to win.<\/p>\n \u201cSchmidt has either coached or coached against almost all of these Lions players. He has also mentored Andy Farrell, Simon Easterby and Johnny Sexton.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is not nothing when considering the future of this series, because knowledge is power and in every battle, the opposition get a say. After the Wallabies take on Fiji on Sunday we will get a glimpse of just how much say the Australians will get.\u201d<\/p>\n