A couple of dizzying highs, and far too many soul-destroying lows - there is perhaps no better way to sum up the Wallabies' 2025 season.
A mammoth 15-Test schedule, which included the historic British and Irish Lion series, tested Joe Schmidt's group in every way possible. While it briefly promised to be one of the more memorable years on record, ultimately, it presented more questions than answers.
And more disappointingly, finished in a win/loss record of 5-10.
So what did we learn about the team, and what needs to change as yet another period of transition looms in Australian rugby?
Read on as we break down the Wallabies' fortunes and look ahead to the start of the Les Kiss era.
DISCIPLINE DOG DAYS RETURN
There are some lasting truisms of Test rugby. One is that a team with a poor set-piece will never be a genuine threat in the international arena. The other is that the more penalties you give away, the harder winning becomes, particularly against the game's elite group of Test nations.
Having started the year giving away just eight penalties against Fiji, and then seven, eight and 11 penalties in the three Tests against Lions, the Wallabies maintained an excellent disciplinary record through the first three games of the Rugby Championship.
In the two Tests against the Springboks, Australia gave away only four and six penalties, for one win and a draw, and then 10 in their win over the Pumas the following week. But a horror afternoon seven days later under English referee Christophe Ridley was the start of a wretched run for Australia that would yield only one further win for 2025.
After conceding 14 penalties in the heart-breaking loss to the Pumas in Sydney, the Wallabies were then pinged 15 and 14 times respectively in back-to-back Tests against the All Blacks. What was perhaps most depressing was the fact that, in Auckland, Australia had wrestled back the momentum from New Zealand with a withering surge, only to piggy-back the All Blacks up the field through early maul drives and breakdown inaccuracy.
Sadly, that became a theme for the Wallabies for the rest of the year, as Schmidt's team conceded seven, 13, 12, eight and 13 penalties for one win [against Japan] and then four straight defeats respectively. Furthermore, they were dealt a yellow card in those four consecutive defeats to round out the year.
Inaccurate clean-outs, neck rolls, maul infringements; these were just a few of the repeated issues the Wallabies endured in the second half of the season. It is no coincidence that as Australia's discipline deteriorated at the mid-point of the Rugby Championship, so did their season.
They did, on occasion, have right to bemoan referees, with Italian Andrea Piardi unlikely to be on Rugby Australia's Christmas card list. But, using a couple of avoidable instances from the weekend's defeat by France, like Tom Hooper's maul infringement, which resulted in a yellow card, and Carlo Tizzano's brainless clean-out when Australia were hard on attack, the Wallabies were also their own worst enemy.
Fraser McReight remains as good as any over the ball, the No. 7 creating all kinds of breakdown havoc for England and Italy in particular over the past month. But there is an argument that, on occasion, he needs to pull back a touch, too. Adapting to individual referee interpretations is critical also, while the Wallabies simply must be more accurate at the breakdown as a collective.
ATTACK BEGINS TO HUM, THEN IMPLODES COMPLETELY
If only we knew the fly-half chaos that was to come when Noah Lolesio whacked his head on the Hunter Stadium turf in the first Test of the year. From that point onwards, Australia cycled through four further starting fly-halves; Tom Lynagh, James O'Connor, Tane Edmed, Carter Gordon; and used Ben Donaldson off the bench, which prohibited the Wallabies from having any semblance of continuity in the key playmaking position.
Beyond that key issue, Australia mixed the sublime with the utterly directionless in terms of their attack in 2025. Their first half performance in Melbourne against the Lions was superb, and built on a bruising forward platform provided by Rob Valetini and Will Skelton. Unfortunately, Australia's 23-5 lead would ultimately end in heartbreak - and a whole lot of controversy.
Their other sparkling attacking effort came in Johannesburg, where the Wallabies ended a 63-year drought in an incredible come-from-behind triumph over the world champion Springboks. With O'Connor pulling the strings at No. 10, Australia ran in 38 unanswered points in a devastatingly beautiful attacking display that moved big South African forwards around, highlighted by Max Jorgensen's runaway try from a sumptuous O'Connor cut-out pass.
Elsewhere, the Wallabies enjoyed success with their short-passing game, with skipper Harry Wilson a key contributor. But towards the end of the year they became far too predictable, were too narrow and deep in alignment, and ultimately were not winning the gainline. There were some better moments in Paris, but in Tokyo, London, Udine and Dublin, Australia's attack was, at best, pedestrian; and at worst, dire.
The ACL injury suffered by Tom Wright did the Wallabies no favours, so too the curious situation regarding Len Ikitau's involvement through the spring tour. The midfielder is truly world class, reflected by his selection in World Rugby's 2025 Dream Team, and his absence was telling.
But the Wallabies don't seem to be getting the best out of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii at No. 13 either. Too often Rugby Australia's prized recruit was caught in heavy traffic, unable to utilize the athletic traits with which he has been gifted. Outside him, there is no shortage of attacking threats, headed by Jorgensen, whose brilliant individual tries against the Lions [twice], the Springboks and finally France last weekend, showcased his immense talent.
It is expected Kiss will release the shackles on the Wallabies' attack when he takes over in August next year; just how he decides to use Suaalii will be among the many intriguing selections.
SET-PIECE STABILITY ... UNTIL EUROPE
The longer the season went on, the more the Wallabies set-piece, their lineout in particular, deteriorated. By the end of 2025 Australia's lineout was nigh-on diabolical, with several mistakes against Ireland particularly costly.
Earlier in the year the Wallabies had been well served by hookers Billy Pollard and Brandon Paenga-Amosa, with Nick Frost, Harry Wilson and Jeremy Williams all proving reliable targets; the latter a key weapon off the bench on opposition ball, too.
Australia were even able to circumvent the problem that comes with Will Skelton's lack of jumping threat, the Wallabies placing the huge second-rower at the front of the lineout and using him as a surprise target with muted success. Still, Australia finished the Rugby Championship with the worst lineout success rate of any nation at 82.9%
But in the past few weeks Australia's lineout was woeful. While the tough winter conditions up north certainly make throwing more difficult, the Wallabies can't lose six lineouts on their own throw and still expect to be in the contest. The sight of James O'Connor peeling off 30 metres from a penalty with a pinpoint kick to the corner, only to then see Billy Pollard's throw sail well beyond his jumper, kind of summed up Australia's poor spring tour.
The Wallabies' scrum, meanwhile, held up relatively well across 2025. Of course, they gave away penalties along the way, but Australia were not routinely shoved off the ball and the key set-piece is no longer the weakness that it once was in Australian rugby.
But there is no hiding from the size of the hole left by James Slipper. Australia's most capped player finally decided to call time on his international career after the Rugby Championship, his scrum nous and vast experience sorely missed thereafter. Slipper, at 36 years of age, had been playing some of the best rugby of his career.
There is no doubting that Angus Bell is the long-term Wallabies loosehead, while Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou remain quality tighthead options. Zane Nonggorr is meanwhile showing steady improvement and now has 19 Test caps to his name. Australia have also had Aidan Ross switch his allegiance from New Zealand, while Tom Robertson is capable of covering both sides of the scrum.
But the front-row isn't exploding with options beyond that and Kiss will be hoping that a couple of Rhys van Nek, Isaac Kailea, Massimo de Lutiis and Lington Leli can bolster that group through to the 2027 World Cup.
The other big question is just what becomes of Tupou at Racing 92, as moves to France's Top 14 and its cast of eccentric owners are often fraught with danger. Tupou had arguably his best game of the year in Paris at the weekend, save for one wayward cleanout, and also impressed in the third Test win over the Lions in July.
At his very best, Tupou remains world-class. But too often he falls short of that marker.
HIGH-BALL HORROR SHOW
While the Wallabies should be satisfied with their restart work in 2025, the same cannot be said for their kick reception in general play. In Europe over the past month, it was nothing short of disastrous.
They are not alone here, however -- it is also a major concern for the All Blacks - and again weren't helped by Wright's season-ending knee injury. The Brumbies fullback is an excellent communicator, something sorely missed amid the constant chopping and changing of the Wallabies' back-three across the second half of 2025.
But Australia's outside backs simply must improve this key skill, too. The switch in law interpretation to "allow access", basically killing off defensive escort runners, has turned the dial in the attacking team's favour; the art of high-ball disruption is now a weapon in itself, as England so skillfully demonstrated in their 25-7 win over the Wallabies at Twickenham.
Australia must also ensure they are getting players back behind the ball, as opposition teams flood the contact zone even when a high ball is taken successfully. The issue for both Australia and New Zealand is that the high ball is not the same constant tactic in Super Rugby that it is in European club rugby.
DEFENCE NOT DOING THE BUSINESS
As it stands, the Wallabies are one of the few Tier 1 Test nations that do not employ a "rush" or "umbrella" defence, Australia instead persisting with a "soak" alignment that is built more on connection than trying to shut down the space in the wider channels.
Such a setup, however, meant Schmidt's team often conceded large portions of field position out wide, allowing opposition teams to build continuity in the process.
Assistant Laurie Fisher has held the responsibility for defence and while his future under Kiss is unknown, there is a belief he might choose to finish up with the Wallabies after being involved with two separate head coaches in Schmidt and previously Dave Rennie.
And based on their numbers from the back half of the season, it would appear that the Wallabies need a rethink on the defensive side of the ball too. In their last eight Tests of 2025, Australia only once managed to keep a team under 25 points [Japan, 15] - it's no coincidence that was their only victory across that period.
On a positive note, no Australian was handed a red card, be they 20-minute or full, for poor tackling technique, while only Len Ikitau and Nick Frost saw yellow for head-on-head contact.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh confirmed earlier this week that Schmidt would see out the final seven months of his Wallabies contract, including the three opening Nations Championship Tests on home soil next July.
But there is much for Kiss to sort out in the background before he takes over, too, headed by his backroom staff. The Wallabies have already seen Mike Cron and Geoff Parling depart from Schmidt's original group, while doubt remains over Fisher's future. Schmidt has meanwhile used Tom Donnelly and John Ulugia, who are both short on coaching experience, over the past month.
Kiss will be juggling his main duty as Queensland Reds coach for the first half of 2025 and, on a positive note, he will be working with two of the prime candidates for his Wallabies No. 10 in Tom Lynagh and Carter Gordon.
While Australia have an issue in the midfield and remain a touch light on in the front-five, it is at fly-half where their biggest headache remains.
Is Lynagh durable enough for Test rugby? Can Gordon improve his goal-kicking? Does O'Connor still have a role to play? Can Tane Edmed kick on after dipping his toes in the Test arena? Does Ben Donaldson still have something to offer? And have we seen the last of Noah Lolesio? These are all questions to be considered.
And Kiss must also bring himself up to speed with Australia's foreign legion, which now extends beyond Skelton to include Tupou, Hooper, Ikitau, Lolesio, O'Connor, Langi Gleeson and, for six months anyway, Angus Bell.
There is no Rugby Championship next year given the All Blacks' tour of South Africa, with Australia instead slated for two-game series with each of Japan and Argentina, before a one-off Test with the Springboks and then the Bledisloe Cup.
Wallabies fans should expect some selection tweaks, and at least some change in game plan, under Kiss; whether it brings more success than Schmidt's 33.3% winning rate for 2025 remains to be seen.