Schmidt targets ‘massive’ year as exit looms
WITH Joe Schmidt expected to confirm his post-World Cup departure today, the Ireland coach is anticipating a ‘massive’ 11 months ahead. The national side’s remarkable achievements in 2018 were acknowledged at last night’s World Rugby awards in Monte Carlo with Schmidt picking up coach of the year, out-half Johnny Sexton winning player of the year and Ireland named team of the year. Those recognitions arrived on the back of Schmidt guiding Ireland to only their third Grand Slam, winning the series in Australia and a claiming a first home win over New Zealand which has seen his side rise to second in the world rankings and installed as one of the favourites for Japan 2019. After securing a 100 per cent November series return following the 57-14 win over the US on Saturday night, Schmidt spoke to his family and the IRFU yesterday ahead of his expected departure announcement today. However, he set his sights on the Six Nations (where Ireland will be chasing back-to-back Grand Slams) and the World Cup (where they will be aiming to reach the semi-final) and beyond, for the first time at the ninth time of asking. ‘The next 11 months is massive,’ said Schmidt. ‘We’ve got the two biggest tournaments we play. We’ve got the Six Nations that we’re the defending champs and the World Cup where we’re certainly not the defending champs because we don’t get
past the quarter-finals and we’d love to do that. ‘It’s funny, turning the page already, I think we all operate a little bit like that. We’ve ticked this box, let’s move on and have a look at what’s coming next. ‘It would be pretty hard to top 2018. ‘There have been some monumental wins and we went and chased what we needed to do to get the Grand Slam. That was special and Australia was special because we put ourselves behind the 8-ball being one down in the series and came back and won a couple of cliff-hangers.’ Having achieved unprecedented success with Ireland since taking over from Declan Kidney in 2013, Schmidt paid tribute to the support he has received from players, fellow coaches and backroom staff, the IRFU and the team’s supporters over his five and a half years in charge. ‘The massive positive is the group of people I work with. I couldn’t get a better support team behind the team,’ he said. ‘The team work incredibly hard from that perspective and my Carton House “family” that I have I would say they are incredible to work with is a massive positive. ‘You see the support we get, that encourages you to do your very, very best to help those players deliver,’ he continued. Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell is favourite to succeed Schmidt after next year’s World Cup as part of the IRFU’s succession planning strategy, with Farrell, forwards coach Simon Easterby and skills coach Richie Murphy all contracted until June 2020.