Joe Schmidt-next All Black backs coach?

Ian Foster doesn't inspire confidence in this role as far as I'm concerned. He'll obviously have my and NZ's full support as we'd never take an All Black loss to prove ourselves right. I'm bloody happy to be proven wrong by the coaches. But I don't think Foster has done enough and I fear that our backplay will not reach the outstanding levels it has reached under Smith.

Just watching Leinster's passing is very impressive and they are comfortably the best passing team in Europe. I disagree with one journo's comment about the best in the world as NZ's and particularly Australia's passing is phenomenal. But Schmidt has got Leinster playing a SH passing game and it is paying dividends obviously.

If the NZ backline quality does deteriorate, how do you think Schmidt would go at international level? Leinster have a bloody good backline, but the All Blacks have even more firepower. I feel his approach is definitely in line with how the All Blacks try to play the game and the faith he has in his systems is evident.

Ireland would be crazy not to have a crack at getting him on board I feel, but I'm talking about coaching NZ. One for the future definitely.

He wouldn't be welcome as the Ireland coach, he picks Darcy as his first choice centre.

Haha I think that's his biggest flaw as well!

Seriously though, everyone had a go at Kidney for picking Darcy in the 6 nations, but Joe (who has been pretty successful recently) obviously feels Darcy is the best option.

Joe plays Darcy – Leinster play well
Declan plays Darcy – Ireland play sh1te

Anyone think that maybe Darcy isn’t the problem?

rapidsnowman wrote:Seriously though, everyone had a go at Kidney for picking Darcy in the 6 nations, but Joe (who has been pretty successful recently) obviously feels Darcy is the best option.

It's pretty simple D'arcy plays well at provincial level, but that just doesn't equate to international level, same with McFadden who was hyped up as hell

Excellent point Mickado.

Mickado wrote:Joe plays Darcy – Leinster play well
Declan plays Darcy – Ireland play sh1te

Anyone think that maybe Darcy isn’t the problem?

Add in the other 14 players that Kidney selects. All play a totally different game for province and country.

BTW speaking of Leinster Heineken Cup Final tickets just went on sale. Just scored two so am a happy chappy

Yep, i just got 4

Kidney's contract with Ireland expires at the same time as Schmidt's contract with Leinster expires. The IRFU would be crazy not to sign him up as Irish coach.

Wonder which one Schmidt would prefer: Head Coach at Ireland or Assistant Coach at NZ.

He'd probably have to go for the Auckland Blues job first

Obviously I think that professionally he's having a great time in Ireland. I guess it depends on his family. Do they love it here? Or would they prefer to go home to New Zealand?

Not necessarily GoWales. Leinster are playing some cracking rugby at the mo and are one of the best non international sides going around. It does depend on whether the NZRU feel that his style of play/coaching is in line with the ABs though, and if it will succeed with less time and space that you have in international rugby.

Did someone say Ireland might have a coaching issue?

disneychilly wrote:Not necessarily GoWales. Leinster are playing some cracking rugby at the mo and are one of the best non international sides going around. It does depend on whether the NZRU feel that his style of play/coaching is in line with the ABs though, and if it will succeed with less time and space that you have in international rugby.

If they were finding it hard to consider Gatland for the national team because they wanted him to coach a super team, then i don't see how/why they would put Schmidt straight as coach of NZ

gowales wrote:

disneychilly wrote:Not necessarily GoWales. Leinster are playing some cracking rugby at the mo and are one of the best non international sides going around. It does depend on whether the NZRU feel that his style of play/coaching is in line with the ABs though, and if it will succeed with less time and space that you have in international rugby.

If they were finding it hard to consider Gatland for the national team because they wanted him to coach a super team, then i don't see how/why they would put Schmidt straight as coach of NZ

They wouldn't. He'd first coach Ireland. That would mean International experience AND superteam experience..with Leinster

The jury is indeed still out on Foster. The backs coach that is. The jury came back a long time ago with regards to the beer and gave it death by lethal injection!

He seemed to work well with Colin Cooper for the now defunct Junior ABs and the Chiefs had a horror run with injuries which didn't give the backs the best platform to work with. I certainly am not knocking the guy before we see the fruits of his labours but much like the whole coaching set up there is an air of invulnerability since the breaking up of the three wise men.

Schmidt is doing well over there and good on him. Moving round a family is difficult but certainly he has caught the eye and hopefully will be in communication with the NZRFU.

I can fully understand why many are praising the achievements,this week especially, of Joe Smidt.

But I notice on this forum there is very little mention of Jono Gibbs and Greg Feek, Is that because Leinster supporters dont think they actually add much to the players/squad performance?

Jono Gibbs is a brilliant forwards coach. He's been there longer than Schmidt and it was him that helped turn us from soft "ladyboys" into one of the meanest packs in Europe. We brought Feek in, after our scrum was minced by both Clermont and Toulouse in 2010. It immediately improved under him. They're both top quality. Schmidt get's all the plaudits because he's head coach. But also because it is him who brought the attacking style to a higher level, rarely seen in Europe.

I think Joe Schmidt is an excellent coach although some credit must go to the back room staff at Leinster. It can't just be one man!

I wouldn't say Leinster supporters don't think of Jono Gibbs and Greg Feek...but I also find it humourous that Irish sides in particular are always brought to book by others when they talk coaches.

They either over-blame a coach for what's happening on the field of play or they go over board in choosing a coach to praise whilst ignoring other coaches who are either involved at present or who have created the bedrock on which success is now based.

The truth is we mention Schmidt because he's the head coach - because others judge themselves on their head coach and because he DID bring a factor to Leinster that the players really like. It's apparent and I'm not just talking the practicalities of training. He's brought an attitude the players really respond to with enthusiasm; whilst Cheka brought success but tended to be a more abrasive character and seemed to have clashed personally with some players. I think Leinster players themselves were involved in the choosing of Schmidt if Schmidt himself is to be believed. He was headhunted and the players knew they wanted him.

Yes, the Leinster side and its success is down to more than one man - the players themselves have a lot to do with it too and were having success before he showed up. But he does bring what he brings and it excites not just the players but transfers to the supporters. Maybe simple personality is a bigger factor than perhaps many would credit. Maybe the players just like him and - like young impressionable schoolkids - they want to work for him, want to impress him and want to give him as big a legacy as they want for themselves.

Schmidt is a very cheerful and friendly character. But he absolutely demands excellence (an very All Back trait).

I've heard Shane Horgan talk about him on Newstalk. Any player who makes a mistake, senior or junior, Schmidt highlights it in the video analysis in front of everyone and won't spare their blushes. He'll tear a player to shreds with a friendly smile on his face.

Apparently in the past senior players would be spared this, in the knowledge that they know themselves where they went wrong. But Schmidt will let them know again anyway. Schmidt seems to be very personable but also very demanding in what he wants.

Schmidt is personable. It's not a cloak. What he is behind the scenes is brutally honest and clinically detailed in the things he wants, the things he doesn't want to see and pointing out the errors coldly and bluntly and demanding tightening up in those areas.

But what Schmidt evidently isn't is a coach who can be cold, dismissive and on occasion downright insulting. I think that's part of the reason why the sweetness between Leinster and Cheka began to dissolve (going on the stories of one or two past players). Players like to be told the truth - but they also want mutual respect. You can see mutual respect written large between Schmidt and his players. Day job behind the scenes ruthlessness about strategies and player failings is to be expected from a perfectionist but the players are responding to it because its a mutual journey. He said it himself...he came to Leinster because a young man (not one of the senior players) put him in no doubt that they were prepared to respond to him and that they, the players, would handle the motivation - leaving him free to teach and plan. The young man was Sexton.