Releasing all Wallabies stars 'counter-productive' - Schmidt

Australia caput coach Joe Schmidt has rejected claims from nan British and Irish Lions that he must merchandise each his biggest stars to their Super Rugby sides for warm-up games, saying it would beryllium a "counter-productive" move.

On Monday, Lions main executive Ben Calveley said "the statement is very clear" regarding Australia having to free up their players to play successful nan warm-up fixtures.

The Lions will return connected Western Force successful their first lucifer of nan circuit connected Australian ungraded connected Saturday.

Five Wallabies - Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White - person been released to nan Perth-based broadside for nan match.

Andy Farrell's broadside will past play fixtures against nan Queensland Reds (2 July), NSW Waratahs (5 July) and ACT Brumbies (9 July) earlier taking connected Australia successful nan first Test successful Brisbane connected 19 July.

The Wallabies look Fiji connected 6 July successful their only warm-up crippled earlier nan Test series, pinch Schmidt saying his front-line stars specified arsenic Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Len Ikitau, who play for nan Waratahs and nan Brumbies respectively, are improbable to characteristic for some their franchises and country.

Props Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou play for nan Waratahs and will besides astir apt look nan Lions for nan first clip successful nan Test series.

"There's immoderate superior plate-spinning astatine nan moment, trying to get ready," Schmidt told nan Sydney Morning Herald.

"The ambition is location will beryllium immoderate going backmost to nan Reds and immoderate going backmost to nan Waratahs.

"But successful reality, nan Lions person sewage their squad. Are they going to play their champion squad each week? That's unlikely. So are we going to play each nan aforesaid players each week?"

Schmidt added: "We play Fiji connected a Sunday and nan Waratahs play connected a Saturday night. So it's not for illustration you tin play Saturday and Sunday nighttime against a squad for illustration nan Lions. It would beryllium counter-productive.

"I'm not judge whether Andy [Farrell] was portion of that chat aliases whether it was conscionable coming from nan CEO, but I've publication nan tours statement and it's having nan champion volition to person nan highest-quality players disposable and playing.

"It's not arsenic circumstantial arsenic saying each Wallaby from a authorities aliases a nine has to beryllium disposable to play each crippled that nan Lions travel done on."

Former Ireland caput coach Schmidt has been keen to protect his prima players from wounded by keeping them successful campy and retired of their nine sides. His volition is to ring-fence a halfway of 25 players for nan Fiji game.

Four years ago, Covid restrictions prevented South Africa players turning retired for their nine sides successful nan build-up to their Test bid against nan Lions.

However, New Zealand's Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Sam Whitelock and Jordie Barrett each played successful warm-ups against nan Lions successful 2017 and for nan All Blacks successful that year's Test series.

The Lions' 2nd Test of their circuit successful Australia is connected 26 July astatine Melbourne Cricket Ground, pinch nan last Test connected 2 August successful Sydney.