How did the Wallabies turn six straight losses into a 57-10 rout?

Australia ended a six-Test losing streak with a 57-10 demolition of Italy in Perth, delivering Joe Schmidt a resounding victory in his 31st and final Test as Wallabies coach. The home side scored nine tries, Josh Canham became the first Wallabies lock to score a Test hat-trick, and a record Wallabies crowd of 19,268 packed HBF Park. It was Australia's first win of 2026 and their biggest victory in more than a decade.

What We Know So Far

The Wallabies entered the match under heavy pressure after losing six Tests in a row and nine of their previous 10. Their recent defeats had also exposed a damaging pattern: Australia led France 21-12 at half-time before conceding 30 unanswered points, and had previously surrendered a 12-point advantage in a 33-31 loss to Ireland.

Against Italy, there was no comparable collapse. Australia established control almost immediately through its forwards, with Josh Canham scoring the opening try after a powerful early sequence. Tom Wright and Brandon Paenga-Amosa followed, and Canham added a second before Angus Bell and Len Ikitau helped push the score to 38-5 at half-time.

Italy briefly responded through Monty Ioane just after half-time, but Canham's third try restored Australia's momentum. Billy Pollard later finished another dominant rolling maul before Ben Donaldson crossed near full-time and converted his own try to complete the 57-10 scoreline. The nine Australian tries came from Canham three times, Wright, Paenga-Amosa, Bell, Ikitau, Pollard and Donaldson.

The result carried several milestones. Canham's hat-trick was the first by a Wallabies lock, while James Slipper made his 154th Test appearance, moving past Sam Whitelock to become the second-most capped player in men's international rugby behind Alun Wyn Jones on 170. Miles Amatosero also made his Test debut.

Rolling maul

A set-piece attack in which players bind together and drive forward while keeping the ball off the ground.

TMO

The television match official who reviews incidents and scoring decisions using video footage.

HIA

A head injury assessment used to evaluate a player after a suspected concussion-related incident.

Reactions & Responses

Canham immediately shifted credit for his three tries to Australia's pack, telling Nine after the match: “Tries are because of how well that forward pack went tonight.” His comment matched the pattern of the contest, with Australia's close-range power and set-piece work repeatedly overwhelming Italy.

We wanted to put in a good performance for Joe and for Lord (Fisher), and I think we did that tonight.

Ikitau's comments reflected the emotional context around the result. Schmidt was coaching his final Wallabies Test, while assistant Laurie Fisher was also departing. Before the match, Schmidt had said he felt “nervous and a little bit lost” as he approached the end of a role that had consumed his weekly routine.

The match also included a chaotic late incident involving Marco Riccioni. After being replaced, the Italy prop became involved in a touchline melee and was shown a red card. Because he was no longer participating in the match, Italy did not have to remove an on-field player.

On the Ground

For Australian supporters, the significance went beyond ending a losing streak. Rugby.com.au reported a Wallabies record crowd of 19,268 at HBF Park, while another report described it as the fifth successive sell-out home crowd. The performance rewarded that support with Australia's largest win since the 65-3 victory over Uruguay at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The scoreline also changed the immediate mood around the national side. Australia had lost its previous two meetings with Italy, including a 28-27 defeat in 2022 and a 26-19 loss in Udine last year. This time, the Wallabies' forwards created sustained pressure, the attack converted field position into points, and the team avoided the type of second-half collapse that had hurt them against Ireland and France.

Coming Up

Les Kiss now takes over as Wallabies coach, with his first match in charge scheduled against Japan in Osaka on 8 August. The 57-10 result gives him a markedly different starting point from the six-match losing run that preceded Perth.

Schmidt's broader legacy will continue to be judged as Australia moves toward the 2027 Rugby World Cup. His final night, though, produced an emphatic result: nine tries, a historic Canham hat-trick and a convincing response after weeks of costly second-half failures.

At a Glance

• Australia defeated Italy 57-10 at HBF Park in Perth.
• The Wallabies scored nine tries and recorded their first win of 2026.
• Josh Canham became the first Wallabies lock to score a Test hat-trick.
• Joe Schmidt finished his Wallabies coaching tenure with a victory in his 31st Test.
• James Slipper made his 154th Test appearance, moving to second on the men's all-time list.
• Les Kiss takes over before Australia's match against Japan in Osaka on 8 August.