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By the week’s end Joe Schmidt could be one of the kings of the rugby coaching world. Should the 53-year-old mastermind an Ireland win over the All Blacks in Dublin on Sunday, he may require a vanload of heavies as protection from those who flock to his throne.
The wheelers and dealers will come running. Wealthy club owners, chief executives, high performance managers and agents will scurry across to Ireland to ask the former school teacher from New Zealand whether he would consider taking a peek at the contracts locked in their satchels.
All Schmidt would have to do, it seems, is reach for a calculator and punch in some digits – lots of them.
Already considered one of the hottest tickets in the rugby coaching industry, Schmidt could push his value through the ceiling if he tools the Irish players up with the right gameplan to beat the All Blacks for the first time on Irish soil.
With around 50,000 fans willing them on, Ireland won’t lack support.
Their 28-17 win over Argentina in Dublin last weekend was scratchy, too many lineout errors, veteran hooker Rory Best looked tired and the injury to flanker Sean O’Brien was a blow, but the All Blacks know they would be out of their minds to think the Six Nations champions are going to be easy.
In fact, the All Blacks have done little but talk up Ireland since arriving on the island a couple of days ago. Everything about the Irish, they said, screams danger.
Schmidt might worry them more than anyone. He has the reputation for being a meticulous planner and, as a Kiwi, he will understand the psyche of his countrymen.
He has already proved that to the All Blacks, of course.
The 40-29 win in Chicago was Ireland’s first win over the World Cup holders, who made the mistake of shifting Jerome Kaino into the unfamiliar role of lock because specialists Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock were unavailable. Ireland were good that day, but the All Blacks made life tough for themselves.
A fortnight later the All Blacks got their revenge, utilising all their menace and aggression to wipe out the Irish 21-9 in Dublin.
Schmidt will have looked at that from every angle, broken it down and warned his players to expect more of the same.
If Ireland do win on Sunday, the Irish Rugby Football Union
officials may not know whether to laugh or cry.
Because Schmidt, contracted to the IRFU until after the 2019 World Cup, is no certainty to recommit. He has said he will decide later this month.
With All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who has already been in in the job sevens years, a chance to vacate his position after the
World Cup, Schmidt might position himself for a tilt at the biggest job in the game.
The popular belief is Ian Foster, Hansen’s assistant since 2012 and a man who played a significant role in the All Blacks defending the Webb Ellis Cup, could have the inside running.
Foster has intimate knowledge of how the All Blacks’ machine works. He is aware of which players can simply get on with their jobs, which ones need more maintenance and how the management structure ticks.
Appointing Foster may also mean that he keeps most of the back office staff to ensure the transition is smooth for the test
players and NZ Rugby.
But that would be no reason to ignore what Schmidt offers. A win in Dublin this weekend will be significant.
Then the IRFU and the world will wait for him to declare his future plans. If he declines a contract renewal, the race for the All Blacks job could be well and truly on.