For years disgruntled Australian rugby fans called on the Wallabies to let their actions do the talking. Now they have a figurehead who will preach that message.
Joe Schmidt the coach is one of the great modern-day rugby tacticians, but a promoter he is not.
If Australian rugby fans wanted someone different from Eddie Jones, they’ve got one.
He is the antithesis of Jones behind the microphone. They will barely hear cooee from Schmidt.
“It’s just not something that I’d be usually be doing,” Schmidt said when he released his autobiography Ordinary Joe following the 2019 World Cup campaign.
“I try to keep a relatively low-profile outside of our match weeks. It’s a little bit uncomfortable at times.”
Rugby Australia is set to appoint New Zealander Joe Schmidt (R) as Eddie Jones’ (L) replacement. (Photo by David Rogers – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Imagesges)
Those that know Schmidt say he has a disdain for ‘carry-on’.
Indeed, Schmidt, who started his coaching career in basketball before being pushed into rugby, tells the story in his early years as a coach in a schoolboy game when his side replicated the NSW Blues in States of Origin with a grenade celebration after scoring a try.
Schmidt, conservative in his nature and someone who considers himself a traditionalist who respects the values of the game and expects his players to do the same, hated the over-the-top celebration and let his team know it.
For Schmidt, he is about winning the hearts and minds of his players – and the wider rugby diaspora.
Up in Ireland, where he forged his reputation as one of rugby’s great coaches, he managed that.
Schmidt didn’t lead Ireland to the Holy Grail, but he got them God-darn close.
Twice Schmidt’s Irish went to the World Cup with high expectations. On both occasions, Ireland’s World Cup dream ended in tears after devastating quarter-final exits.
Yet, in between those two disappointing campaigns, Ireland enjoyed unprecedented success.
After winning several titles with Clermont and Leinster, Schmidt took Ireland to three Six Nations crowns, including the 2018 grand slam, and oversaw the country’s first home and away victory over the All Blacks.
When the New Zealander bowed out, he left with a winning record of 72 per cent.
Joe Schmidt leaves the pitch in Sydney after overseeing Ireland’s 2-1 series win over Michael Cheika’s Wallabies in 2018. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
But perhaps even more impressively, when he joined Ian Foster’s coaching set-up in mid-2022, the All Blacks’ fortunes turned around overnight.
Schmidt’s fingertips were all over the All Blacks, who finally rediscovered their killer edge. That was until a Jordie Barrett kick missed the left-hand upright at the Stade de France against the Springboks in the final days of last October.
It’s why Rugby Australia opted for Schmidt to lead the Wallabies out of the deep hole they find themselves in.
After working on four-year World Cup cycles, RA is hell-bent on getting back to winning. Not in four years, but now.
Having won at less than 40 per cent over the past eight years and burning through several coaches along the way, two things have dawned on RA.
First, Australian rugby’s struggles extend beyond the Wallabies coach and, second, less focus needs to be placed on winning the World Cup.
After all, years of success and planning doesn’t always equate to claiming the William Webb Ellis Cup. Just ask Ireland and France who crashed out at last year’s quarter-finals by the smallest of margins against the All Blacks and Springboks in the space of 24 hours.
Schmidt, having learned the hard way, particularly in 2019, is aligned with Phil Waugh’s thinking.
“The thing that I would definitely steer away from next time in the lead up to a World Cup is trying to focus on a World Cup a year out,” Schmidt told Off the Ball following their heavy quarter-final loss to the All Blacks in Japan.
“There’s too much emphasis on the World Cup already. Our bread and butter is all around the Six Nations and I love the Six Nations.”
He added: “What people don’t understand is how fine the margins are.”
Importantly, too, he will step into Rugby Australia at Moore Park knowing that he has the trust of his employers, having worked alongside new director of high performance Peter Horne at World Rugby and David Nucifora, the outgoing Irish director of rugby, who is acting as an advisor for the governing body too.
He will need it too because there remains great scepticism as to whether a New Zealander, who has worked in centralised systems where everything is geared toward the national team, can succeed in the Australian system.
IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora (L) likely played a part in former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt (2nd left) joining the Wallabies. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Without a Leinster-esque side in Australia to build the national team around, Schmidt will quickly discover the many roadblocks in the game that have harmed the nation’s progress.
A former vice-principal, Schmidt is detailed to the nth degree.
Everything, every move, and every play is planned and forecast by Schmidt.
His manipulation of defence is a hallmark of his coaching.
Schmidt’s philosophy is all about controlling the controllables.
On a team level that’s the set-piece; the lineout, scrum, kick-offs.
It extends to the messaging and marketing of the team and filters down to the players to their diet, nutrition, recovery, game knowledge, preview and review of training.
There is a ‘nice Joe’ and ‘serious Joe’, and his structured way of thinking is all about ensuring his players trust the process.
Many have labelled Schmidt a “control freak” over the years.
It’s something he knows and laughs off, but it is a label with a large amount of truth.
Schmidt sees and reads everything. He tries to ensure as little outside noise filters through to the teams he coaches.
But noise will follow his every move.
For Schmidt though, he will hope the actions of the Wallabies speak louder than words.
After all, nothing else matters for Schmidt.
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
I genuinely wish you guys all the best Mo. well until you’re facing the ABs :silly:
MO
Roar Rookie
As ever mate we don’t have quality in depth but our best 23 can compete (although we do need a 10 and a 12 to step up). We still nearly made the quarters despite Eddie’s best efforts. Rennie woulda got us to a QF then who knows. Slipper didn’t actually fup playing at 3. He faked it ok. Be interesting to see how LSL goes after mentoring by Lawes and Harry W under a new coach. If Les K gives him some lineout work and proper lines he’s in the frame for 6. Something wasn’t working with him and Brad. Momentarily forgot his name but Fiji should go hard for the QLD 6 to bolster their lineout. Good player but too small for lock
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Yes, but those sports are far less popular and wealthy in Ireland than the NRL, AFL and A-League are in Australia. They're not doing anything amazing.
mjg
Roar Rookie
Doesn’t Ireland rugby face competition from hurling, Gaelic football and soccer? I think it’s amazing what they do, considering.
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
You’re absolutely right Andy I would think it would be in his job description or scope. But having gone through it with Ireland I would imagine he will have some input. May not of course it’s just my opinion.
AndyS
Roar Rookie
JS has nothing whatsoever to do with pathways, getting back on track, etc. That is all RA and whoever is handling on High Performance. Head coach is important and all, but not the problem at the moment. Frankly, right now, someone like Larkham is more intrinsically important at the Brumbies than Schmidt is having the Wallabies. RA focusing on one guy is a distraction, and if everyone now sits back thinking 'job done, future sorted', everything is just going to go on getting worse.
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
Hope so Mo. He only has 2 year at this stage. Hopefully this will be extended if he is the man and the support of the team, board and punters. If I have to dive into my mind (not a place for the faint heated) I see them at best competitive and building to for the next WC. But it is at home and if they are competitive with a good draw anything can happen.
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
We often talk about pathways and getting back on track on these threads. Surely this is what is expected from JS. Winning consistently is the pinnacle but I think we can all agree there is so much work to be done before this is a reality. 2 years :unhappy: it will hardly make a dent but hope I’m wrong.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Rugby has much less competition from the other sports in Ireland than for example Scotland or Wales: soccer is totally dominant in Scotland. One reason Ireland has been so effective over the past twenty years is the absence of competition it's faced compared to countries otherwise in similar position. In Australia, the level of competition faced is on a completely different level. AFL is like Hurling but where half the country will watch nothing else. NFL is like a version of soccer which is four times bigger than rugby, and to top it all there's soccer. It's not just the range of competition therefore, but rugby's weak position compared to its competitors.
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
They do. Then they correct it, because journalists know better. After all, language is their tool of the trade. (I have friends who are professional proofreaders).
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
Only based on experience, mate. Because of the Eddie Jones experience, mate. That's what I reckon, mate.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Maybe… but so many less than professionals could see where it was going wrong… and he refused to change. His plan just wasn’t any good, and we could all see it, but he couldn’t? I don’t believe it. He can’t have stuck at it for 4 years thinking one day we will fluke it and win. Besides, where he left us, 2nd would have been more than acceptable to many in Aus.
MO
Roar Rookie
58 years old this is the blend of fitness and experience. Yeah crowning glory. 4 years time the Wallabies could make and win a semi final and shoot from there. I reckon the last rwc was the best ever. Worthy winners bombed out in the quarters but played well
MO
Roar Rookie
Maybe Jacko like many kiwis and saffers who came to Oz he’s a great man
MO
Roar Rookie
He thought he’d retired
MO
Roar Rookie
Yeah short Rennie gambled and lost to Italy but he had a 4 year contract. It was jones Donno who couldn’t pull the win out of the fire. No disrespect to Donno meant
MO
Roar Rookie
My theory is that with the best sensible style cheika thought the Wallabies would still do no better than second like 2015 so he risked it all on a gamble. Good teams do get beaten by better teams and cheika knew that day in day out the ABs would likely be better. Nonu and Carter broke that game and they are legit champions that can and might do that to you.
The Crow Flies Backwards
Roar Rookie
Jacko, as I said on another thread, Schmidt might be an ex teacher, but will the new students listen?
Short-Blind
Roar Rookie
Great comment and your third paragraph nails it Don. It has been killing me for a decade watching zero improvement in basic skills at SR level in OZ (which filters up to Wallabies). Drop balls (Petia is the king of loose carries - took the mantle from Kurtley), can't pass one way or can't pass out front in that money bag space so attackers don't have to hesitate, awful defence technique, can't catch under pressure, can't kick long or short intuitively if needed (Folau). So yeah it's either crappy skills coaches in the franchises or players just don't give a sh%#$. What brought it home to me again was watching the Aussi Schools U18 boys this year. The skills on display were better than many at SR level. How can they go backwards from there?????? :laughing:
Short-Blind
Roar Rookie
The notion that there was excessive 'hatred' at Rennie is overcooked. The majority of roarers (me included) knew he was steering the ship to better things and his last tour was a solid performance with obvious improvements made building towards the RWC. His mistake was losing to Italy with a B team, perhaps he didn't understand the risk involved with how that would land at RA.