Schmidt warned he must release Wallabies for Lions warm-ups / Photo: DAVID GRAY - AFP
Schmidt warned he must release Wallabies for Lions warm-ups
The British and Irish Lions are demanding that top Wallabies players appear for their Super Rugby sides to ensure warm-up matches are meaningful preparation for the three-Test series.
The Lions arrived in Perth on Sunday night where they will face Super Rugby side Western Force in their opening match on Australian soil on Saturday.
The Force are set to field five Wallabies -- Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White -- who have all been released from Australia's training in Sydney.
But team-mates Carlo Tizzano and Ben Donaldson have been retained in the Wallabies camp by Australia head coach Joe Schmidt.
"We'll see a competitive fixture at the weekend and that's what we're looking for," said Lions chief executive Ben Calveley, who reminded Rugby Australia and Schmidt that releasing the Wallabies was part of the tour agreement.
"We want to make sure our guys are battle-hardened when it comes to the Test series.
"The agreement is very clear, it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation."
The Lions also play Super Rugby's Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs before the first Test in Brisbane on July 19.
Schmidt has not yet indicated that he will release any of his players for those fixtures.
"We'll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with (Rugby Australia chief executive) Phil Waugh and take it step-by-step," Calveley said in comments reported by the BBC and other UK media.
"It's really important that these games are competitive. It's not just from a performance standpoint, but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters who are all expecting competitive fixtures."
The Lions are unlikely to face any of the NSW Waratahs' Australian stars such as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou on July 5 because that match is a day before the Wallabies' sole warm-up match, a Test against Fiji.
R.Ríos--ECdLR
