Joe Schmidt - Ireland's new head coach, confirmed!!!

First topic message reminder :


http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/29025.php

Great news. Press conference at 4.

Scrumdown wrote:

It isn't one or two players that Leinster need. They need a new center partnership, a new scrum half, new tight head, second row.

Injuries will affect Leinster less than they will Ireland because of the relative strength of the
Leinster squad compared to club sides in England, Wales and Scotland.

The English, Welsh and Scottish national teams are much stronger than their club teams and therefore in order to compete, Ireland needs its first team out on the field. Mcfadden for example is a strong replacement for odriscoll at provincial level. At international level, he isn't and the standard of the team drops below the level required to win test matches.

In order to reach the amlin final, Leinster have had to beat scarlets, exeter, wasps and biarritz who are nowhere near as strong as their national teams in terms of personnel. Schmidt has effectively coached an international team in all but name to victories over club sides.

Leinster have 2 excellent young 9's and TH props coming through,McCarthy has been signed to beef up the 2nd row and O'Malley will be a fine replacement for BoD when he does decide to leave.Schmidt has left us in a pretty decent place,not the undisputed best team in Europe anymore but anyone who thought we could keep that up indefinitely was deluded,

I think Schmidt will be glad to finally have a level playing field,he's been competing against teams who can go out and sign a team of top class foreign players when he didn't have that option.Just look at the Clermont team last weekend only 7 French players started.

If Wales,England or France have a weakness in their squad then they have to deal with it and make the best of what they have,Schmidt is used to that only now he has talent on the wingsand 2nd row he never had with Leinster.I'm very interested to see what he can do with genuine strike runners on the wing as an extra attacking option and a lineout operator like PoC,I'm pretty sure he'll have some pretty cool ideas.

Yeah Schmidt left Leinster in all sorts of shhitt, not developing any young players , they've only used 51 players this season, and Leinster A are only in the final of the B & I cup, they should be in the Heino, good man "Scrum"!!!

Perhaps thats the ideal new path for international coaches in other countries- club (sxv here) then club in the proposed country (Leinster), rather than straight from club here to overseas international.

Deans and gatland are in the latter group while Schmidt and hopefuls like Plumtree, a resurgent Mitchell, Jake White and Rob Penney perhaps think testing the water is important to at least get a hands on perspectoive of rugby in a foreign environment.

Deans is largely a failure IMHO, so was Hansen and to an extent GH in the NH, all 3 obviously successful coaches in their home environment, but perhaps not fully understanding the foreign environment, combined with having to prepare under resourced sides from a skill perspective.

Schmidt will have an appreciation of both the NZ and NH environment prior to engaging his international position.

Scrumdown wrote:

It isn't one or two players that Leinster need. They need a new center partnership, a new scrum half, new tight head, second row.

Injuries will affect Leinster less than they will Ireland because of the relative strength of the
Leinster squad compared to club sides in England, Wales and Scotland.

The English, Welsh and Scottish national teams are much stronger than their club teams and therefore in order to compete, Ireland needs its first team out on the field. Mcfadden for example is a strong replacement for odriscoll at provincial level. At international level, he isn't and the standard of the team drops below the level required to win test matches.

In order to reach the amlin final, Leinster have had to beat scarlets, exeter, wasps and biarritz who are nowhere near as strong as their national teams in terms of personnel. Schmidt has effectively coached an international team in all but name to victories over club sides.

You're all over the place Scrum. Leinster are an International team in all but name and yet are on the wane in a competition[s] stuffed with 'ordinary' club sides? Shouldn't that mean that Leinster should be losing more? On the wane means losing...even in a league of ordinary gents...

Then you say the waning Leinster (with aging players who can't trust/won't trust their young uns) is still more potent when suffering an injury crisis because of the relative strength of the 'squad' in comparison to English, Welsh and Scottish sides? Leinster waning with a strong squad that can withstand the absence of central first team players? Make up your mind which it is, Scrum. Weak Leinster or Strong Leinster?

The English, Welsh and Scottish International teams are stronger though and Ireland needs all it's first teamers active to compete with them? A virtual International side in the guise of Leinster...added to a robust top of the list Ulster Pro12 side, added to a Munster side that destroyed Harlequins and almost did a number on mighty Clermont, can't string a decent International side together from similar ingredients certainly to Wales and Scotland, whatever about much bigger England?

You'll see what Ireland can do and what they need to do to compete in the next few years. I don't think you want to think about it or like the idea of it to be honest.... thus the helpful hint that Jake would have been a better choice than Joe.

So what do think his stated priorities will be?

My suggestions are:

- Scour ireland and the world for irish qualified tight heads
- Ditto for scrumhalf
- Focus on getting mentaility right within squad - esp confidence to produced variety in attack
- Focus long term on world cup success and continue to blood new guys
- Aim for 3 wins in 6N as a marker of improvement

What else?

Great appointment for Ireland on paper at least.


Schmidt can add in most of the Leinster team plus the best of the other provinces. Theres no shortage of options there with loads of players coming through in time for the next world cup.


I'm glad Jake White didn't get the job. Hes a good coach but Ireland need somebody who can get the backline firing.

Happy for Ireland. Sad for Leinster. The way they've played under Shmidt has been pretty special.

Looking forward to the first game. If Zebo or Fitzy, or anyone catches the ball in his 22, doesn't immediately boot up in the air or run directly into contact; but see's a gap and runs through it with team mates in support; and Lansdowne roars again; I'll be happy even if we lose.

Feckless Rogue wrote:Happy for Ireland. Sad for Leinster. The way they've played under Shmidt has been pretty special.

Looking forward to the first game. If Zebo or Fitzy, or anyone catches the ball in his 22, doesn't immediately boot up in the air or run directly into contact; but see's a gap and runs through it with team mates in support; and Lansdowne roars again; I'll be happy even if we lose.

Fitzy? Pfft he'd do well to get a game for Leinster never mind Ireland

DOD wrote:All hail the messiah

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