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Leinster get their man, but is he the right one?

Roar Guru
30th December, 2009
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Roar Guru
30th December, 2009
20

The winning Aussie reign is coming to an end at the home of the European Champions, Leinster. Current head coach, Michael Cheika, completes his five-year contract at the end of this season.

In his place will come the relatively unknown New Zealander, Josef Schmidt, the current assistant coach at Clermont Auvergne, where Vern Cotter is head man.

The 44-year-old Schmidt, originally from Manawatu, has agreed a three-year deal with Leinster, and will have a hard act to follow in Cheika.

Cheika has already guided Leinster to both the Magners League title and the Heineken Cup during his five years in Dublin. The club currently lies in second spot in the league and is top of its pool in the Heineken Cup after two high-scoring victories over Llanelli Scarlets in recent weeks. They are second favourites to their provincial rivals, Munster, for the Cup in 2010. Cheika is determined to do the double as a grand finale to his term in office. The fans will expect success to continue. The question is whether Schmidt has the pedigree for it.

He knows the country and province already since he had a stint playing in Leinster for junior side Mullingar in the 1990s.

Some reports on his appointment indicate that Schmidt has built an impressive CV since then, stating that he won the Ranfurly Shield while at the Bay of Plenty where he first teamed up with Vern Cotter in the early Noughties. Though that will mean little to the Leinster fan base beyond noting that he was the Number 2 man to Cotter.

Others point to his 3-year stint as backs coach to the Auckland Blues in the Super 14 before his move to France. In that time, the Blues moved from mid-table in 2006 to gain 4th spot in 2007 but lost out to the Sharks in the play-off semifinal.

Again, Schmidt was number two to David Nucifora at the Blues, and many would argue that he had some of the best All Black talents available to him at the time including Doug Howlett, Luke Mcalister and Kevin Mealamu.

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Schmidt was also recognized as having a central role in the development of many Blues backs – players such as Isaia Toeava, Luke McAlister, Rudi Wulf and Anthony Tuitavake – some of whom Schmidt first coached at secondary school level (incidentally, he’ll also be renewing a relationship with Isa Nacewa, the former Blues five-eighth who now plays on the wing and at full-back for the Irish province).

The Leinster Academy is showing a lot of promise so there’s solid grounds for optimism that he’ll be able to develop some of the talents coming through from the schools in the last few years.

Undoubtedly, Schmidt has won some praise in his three seasons assisting head coach Vern Cotter in France. However, despite having one of the biggest spending budgets available, the club hasn’t moved on appreciably since his arrival. Notably, Clermont under Cotter in his first season in charge made it to the play-offs. With Schmidt’s arrival the following season, the expectation of moving up a notch to winning the Bouclier de Brennus hasn’t paid off.

Clermont are known as the perennial bridesmaids in France having now been runners-up in 2007, 2008 and 2009 to go with the 7 other occasions they’ve had of being second best.

This somewhat flawed pedigree hasn’t put off Leinster. Apparently senior players in the Leinster set-up (did this include Nacewa?) had an input to the selection process of a new coach. Word is that they wanted a young coach on the way up looking to make his mark, rather than an established name – similar to Cheika when he arrived five years ago. His reputation for innovative backs coaching may have helped him close the deal.

As head coach he’ll want to make his mark in ensuring discipline is sustained in a successful squad – so maybe his time as a former Assistant Coach to the New Zealand Schools team for four seasons, and being a former School Headmaster will have given him the requisite skills.

His response to his appointment was either very self-effacing or else very worrying for the average Leinster fan expectant of further trophies and titles. “It’s an enormous opportunity,” said Schmidt. “It’s a new challenge for me and I hope that I can bring something to the team.”

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Leinster said they will make further announcements about Schmidt’s back-up team in the coming weeks.

There was speculation that current Connacht coach Michael Bradley might be brought into the Leinster set-up but that now seems unlikely.

Leinster’s current assistant coaches include backs coach Alan Gaffney, forwards coach Jonno Gibbes and defence coach, Kurt McQuilken, the former Leinster and Ireland centre.

Gaffney has already said that he would leave Leinster when Cheika moves on, though he will remain part of the Ireland coaching team up to the World Cup in 2011.

Schmidt worked with Gibbes, also a New Zealander, in the Super 14 and they are expected to form a new partnership.

McQuilken’s position may not be as clear cut, even though Leinster’s defence has been a central plank of their success since 2008. The rumours are that McQuilken may also move to a new position once this season is over.

Brian O’Driscoll has probably got three years left in his rugby career – he’s achieved a lot already, and is planning to get married next year. He certainly won’t want to be a bridesmaid for the rest of his time at Leinster.

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