Australia ended Joe Schmidt's tenure as head coach with a dominant 57-10 victory over Italy at HBF Park in Perth, securing their first win of 2026 and ending a six-match losing streak. The Wallabies scored nine tries, with lock Josh Canham crossing for a hat-trick in just his third Test cap.
Wallabies explode out of the blocks
Australia raced to a 19-0 lead within the first 12 minutes, starting with a rolling maul that set up Canham's first try. Tom Wright then finished a break after an Allan Alaalatoa offload, and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa burrowed over from close range. Italy captain Michele Lamaro replied with a try, but Canham barged over for his second to make it 24-5 after 28 minutes.
The Wallabies continued their onslaught with Angus Bell scoring from a maul and Len Ikitau crossing just before halftime, sending Australia into the break leading 38-5. It was their most prolific first half since scoring 42 points against Namibia at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Second-half resilience
Italy's Monty Ioane scored early in the second half to cut the deficit to 38-10, raising concerns about Australia's previous second-half fade-outs against Ireland and France. However, the Wallabies responded emphatically as Rob Valetini launched a powerful charge that led to Canham's third try. Ryan Lonergan converted for 45-10.
Ben Donaldson added a try on the final whistle to seal the 57-10 victory, giving Schmidt his biggest win as Wallabies coach. The match also saw the debut of lock Miles Amatosero, Schmidt's 27th debutant in 31 Tests, and a red card to Italy prop Marco Riccioni for punching.
A new era dawns
Schmidt leaves the Wallabies in improved shape for incoming coach Les Kiss, with the team showing attacking flair and defensive solidity. "We wanted to send Joe off with a performance that showed how much we've improved," said captain Allan Alaalatoa. The win ends a run of nine losses in 10 Tests and provides hope for the 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign.
