Schmidt and Farrell are on the next level, says Payne
THE ambush was in full swing, but Jared Payne wasn’t really up for meekly running up the white flag and giving in to deliver chapter and verse on Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell.
Still, he couldn’t escape without making some comment.
After all, as a former player who had won 20 Ireland caps under Schmidt’s all-seeing gaze, Payne was a vital cog in his fellow Kiwi’s plans and played a key role in the 2015 Six Nations-winning side, as well as being on the first ever Irish team to down the All Blacks over in Chicago in 2016.
He has also been coached defensively at Ireland by Schmidt’s ultimate successor Farrell — who came on board in 2016 — and again by the Englishman on 2017’s Lions tour which, as things turned out, was the last time Payne was able to play due to recurring headaches.
The issue forced Payne’s retirement from playing in May 2018 when he was formally unveiled as Ulster’s defence coach.
So, no better man to talk of the influence of Schmidt and Farrell both from a playing point of view and from seeing them on the other side now that Payne too is a coach.
Except that the 33-year-old, who played for Ulster 78 times, would prefer to discuss his own experiences learning his new trade, and Ulster’s game with Cardiff Blues on Saturday, than shoot the breeze on the highly decorated Irish head coach, who will depart after next autumn’s World Cup, and the man who will then step up to replace him.
“They don’t get to yell at me as much I guess,” was Payne’s observation on the difference in working with them as a player and dealing with the pair as a coach.
“But they’re both good guys and they always treat you like a proper person.”
Regarding the switch from talking to them as a player and now as a coach, he added: “It’s no big deal.
“A big thing that is a positive for them is that they treat everyone as an equal.”
And his take on Schmidt? “He has an amazing eye for detail and keeps you honest as a player,” said Payne of his fellow New Zealander.
“He’s intense, and I’ve probably p ***** him off once or twice by being too relaxed with him (as a player).”
His relationship with Farrell (right, with Schmidt) now involves the Ireland defence coach being readily available on the other end of the phone — “to see what the craic is,” was Payne’s take on it, though much advice and guidance is doubtless also imparted.
“‘Faz’ is a great coach as well,” stated Payne.
“He’s a bit different to Joe in some aspects but I think he’ll have learned a lot off Joe and he’s going to put his own slant on it (the Irish top job).
“He’s a great guy, gets on with players, knows what he wants and gets his message across the same way as Joe, but just does it in a different manner.
“It will be interesting to see how he goes.”
Hooker Rob Herring also weighed in with his take on Schmidt and Farrell just days after returning from Ireland camp.
“Joe’s a massively talented coach. He gets what he wants from players and I’ve never seen anything like it before,” said the 28-year-old, who won his seventh Irish cap off the bench on Saturday in the win over the USA.
“What he has contributed to Irish rugby, it’s incredible.
“His attention to detail is second to none and he expects everything to be spot on, and that’s the environment he’s brought.”
And Herring, who is set to make his 150th Ulster appearance on Saturday, also gave his view on the much-lauded Farrell.
“He’s a great defence coach,” he said. “He’s got the boys defending at a new level. I’m sure he’s the right man for the job when Joe leaves.”
With the Ulster game and coaching in general back on the agenda, Payne was on surer ground.
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” he said of being defence coach.
“When you are a player it (losing) hurts, but when you are a coach you do a lot more thinking and you spend a lot of time narrowing down what you can change.
“There have been ups and downs. There will be frustrating weeks and good weeks.”
He’s hoping for the latter on Saturday.