Australia coach Schmidt signs off with win over Italy but losing record

PERTH, July 18 : Australia’s biggest win for a decade proved a fitting farewell for coach Joe Schmidt, as the Wallabies beat Italy 57-10 in the Nations Championship in Perth on Saturday.But the veteran coach departs the job with a losing record and Australia looking a long way off being a contender for the World Cup they host next year.The victory over Italy was the Wallabies’ largest since the 65-3 win over Uruguay at the 2015 World Cup.However, it was also their first victory in three attempts in the new competition and followed six successive defeats. “If you look back two and a half years, I think we’ve definitely made progress,” Schmidt said in a television round table discussion.“The players are more connected, the leaders are more vocal, and they are the critical mass internally.“Ou