Schmidt backed for Lions 2021 job
Ireland captain Rory Best has unequivocally backed his national coach Joe Schmidt as the right man to next lead the British and Irish Lions for their tour to South Africa in 2021.
Schmidt has steered Ireland towards the top of international rugby since the New Zealander’s appointment in 2013 and the boys in green had a stellar 2018, winning the Six Nations Grand Slam and beating the All Blacks for the first time on Irish soil, as well as achieving their first series win in Australia since 1979.
Prior to Steve Hansen announcing he would step down as All Blacks coach after the 2019 World Cup, Schmidt said he wanted to take a break to spend time with his family after announcing he, too, would quit after rugby’s showpiece event in Japan next year.
Schmidt has admitted you can ‘‘never say never’’ when considering a role with the All Blacks but Ireland and Ulster hooker Best has thrown his full support behind the Kiwi becoming the next Lions coach.
‘‘The Lions is one of the few things he hasn’t done,’’ Best told the Press Association.
‘‘I have no doubt that he would be successful given that opportunity. There’s no doubt with the way he performs and the way he goes about his business that he could take the Lions and be successful with them.’’
Best, 36, who has played 113 tests for Ireland since 2005, was selected in Warren Gatland’s Lions squads for tours to Australia (2013) and New Zealand (2017) but he never played a test for the tourists.
Departing All Blacks coach Hansen was one name thrown up by the British press as a contender to be the next Lions coach after Gatland, who led the team to a series win and a draw against the Wallabies and the All Blacks.