Australia boss Joe Schmidt MUST release stars for warm-up matches or Lions tour will be a farce, writes NIK SIMON

In the botanical gardens overlooking Perth’s skyline, the Lions were greeted by an aboriginal man wearing a kangaroo skin, playing a digeridoo. They were welcomed into Australia on their first day by a traditional smoke ceremony, with all of the players breathing in from a bucket-full of burning leaves, a means of connecting with the earth.

It was the warmest of welcomes, overlooking the glorious Swan River, but there is something about Australia’s plans that leave you feeling cold. Joe Schmidt is set to hold back his star Wallabies from the provincial warm-up games and it could undermine the whole event.

As the ceremony wrapped-up, Lions CEO Ben Calveley stood in front of the cameras and sprinkled some British and Irish spice on proceedings. He needed no second invitation to make his thoughts on the matter known to Rugby Australia.

‘The agreement is very clear; it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series,’ he said. ‘That is our expectation. ‘

Legally binding or not, Schmidt will be breaching the spirit of the tour if does not release players to their clubs. The provincial sides are desperate to make the most of their games against the Lions, who come here once every 12 years, but there is a danger they could descend into drubbings.

Given their early place in the schedule, the Western Force have been granted special dispensation to select five of their nine Wallabies for Saturday’s tour opener in Perth. But that allowance does not extend to the team’s best play-maker, Ben Donaldson, who is being held back to prepare for Australia’s sole warm-up game against Fiji on Sunday July 6th.

Nor does it extend to prop Tom Robertson, meaning the province have had to draft in retiring prop Ollie Hoskins on a one-match loan so they can forge something that resembles a scrum. The provinces are being sent into battle against some of the world’s best players with one arm tied behind their back.

Schmidt’s protectionist measures scream of a lack of depth in Australian rugby. The Wallabies are eighth in the world rankings and do not have the playing resources of South Africa or New Zealand. They are minimising the risk of injuries before the crucial Test series but Schmidt’s selection policy is overlooking the bigger picture.

Last week, Andy Farrell had to name a team to face Argentina without players from Bath or Leinster, although Schmidt does not seem like he will make the same compromise. The Fiji match provides a convenient excuse to hold back his players and so far there is no indication that any will be released for the Reds, Waratahs or Brumbies. Australian club rugby is in need of a boost and what a shame it will be if the Waratahs run out for their historic fixture without Joseph Suaalii.

Back on the Lions’ 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand, the touring side lost to the Blues and the Highlanders in their warm-up games. They came up against the likes of Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams and Richie Mo’unga and everyone in attendance holds fond memories. Every match was fiercely contested and the Test series ended all square.

Perhaps it works out in Schmidt’s favour for the Lions to have easier warm-up games, meaning they arrive undercooked for the first Test in Sydney. Calveley made the point that Andy Farrell wants his squad to be battle-hardened. That is a fair comment, but the real issue here is about creating memorable spectacles to justify the Lions tour’s place in an ever-squeezed calendar.

‘We’ll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with [Rugby Australia CEO] Phil Waugh and their executive team,’ added Calveley. ‘We will take it step by step. We are encouraged that we’ll see a strong side competing at the Optus this weekend.

‘It’s really important these games are competitive. It’s not just for a performance stand-point – the players do want to test themselves and build towards the Test series - but it’s also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters who are all expecting competitive fixtures. And for the rugby loving public. That would be their expectation as well.’

Schmidt was known for ruling with a clenched iron fist during his days in Ireland. In this instance, it would be in the sport’s interest if he agrees to loosen that control.