THE DOWNPOUR IN Dublin yesterday left the Wallabies scrambling for a pitch to train on today.
They had been scheduled to do their session at Wanderers, but they realised last night that the pitch there would still be too sodden.
That was at 10:47pm. Some teams might have struggled to get things sorted as quickly as the Wallabies from there, but Joe Schmidt has strong links in the Irish capital.
They got on the phone to Blackrock College, where the main pitch is immaculate, and last-minute plans were put in place for the Wallabies to be able to drive on with their session this morning.
“You know, as a Terenure man, that was a really big favour,” said Schmidt with a smile today.
The Wallabies head coach has a longstanding connection with Terenure club and school, where his son, Tim, previously played. Schmidt points out that Terenure, now coached by Carlos Spencer, have a huge derby game against St Mary’s on Saturday in the AIL, a match he’s disappointed he won’t be able to get to.
Of course, he has connections all over Dublin and Ireland from his nine-year spell working with Leinster and Ireland.
He’s back for the second year in a row with the Wallabies, who are looking to rebound from last weekend’s disappointing defeat to Italy. The pressure is on from back in Australia.
So Schmidt is happy to be back in familiar surroundings.
He met Mick Kearney, his former Ireland team manager, for a cuppa yesterday.
“We had some of Keith Earls’ coffee, it was real nice,” said Schmidt. “There’s always a little bit of banter.”
He’s meeting Rory Best, his former Ireland captain, tomorrow. And there has been time to catch up with some of his family.
Schmidt is happy to be back in Dublin. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
His son, Tim, is now back living in Dublin after a few years in Melbourne.
Schmidt’s brother, Jamie, a partner at Deloitte, lives in Blackrock.
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“I caught up with the family on Tuesday for a bit of dinner,” said Schmidt. “And that’s part of the balance as well.
“Family is always a great kind of distraction and opportunity to just be able to step outside the bubble you’re in, which can eat away at you a little bit and breathe for a few hours.”
It’s not just family and rugby acquaintances who have welcomed Schmidt back.
“I got out of an Uber in town yesterday morning and I was with our manager, Chris Thomson.
“The first three people walking past, ‘Hey Joe, howiya Joe?’
“It’s just a really nice feeling. like you’re kind of home.”
Schmidt is looking forward to returning to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
His Wallabies nearly beat Ireland there last November, but Andy Farrell’s side came from behind to win 22-19.
Of course, Schmidt has many happy memories in the stadium.
“I love the stadium, even though it dips away at one end, which was always something that was a bit unusual,” he said.
“I remember coming back last year and familiar faces, so I guess there’s always comfort and familiarity and being familiar with a lot of the people, as much as anything.”
Mention of the Aviva brings out some sentimentality in him.
He has tried to walk away from the Wallabies job a few times now, but has been convinced to stay on into next year when Les Kiss, his former Ireland assistant coach, will take over.
With the pressure mounting on the Wallabies all over again in recent weeks at the end of a long season, Schmidt has been reminded of his plans to take a break from the top level.
“I have always thought – I know this may sound bizarre – but going past the Sandymount Hotel, I look at all those people having pints and really enjoying themselves and I’m feeling like I’m in this sardine can of pressure.
Les Kiss will take over from Schmidt next year. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“I look out there and think, ‘One day, I’m going to get amongst those people and drift into that stadium and enjoy watching a game where I’m not so emotionally hanging off everything that happens.’
“I have been looking forward to finishing for a long time and it was a phone call from a mate of mine that had me end up here. I’ve got to say I really enjoy it. I still really enjoy the on-field coaching and the interactions with a motivated group of people and great staff. The boys have been great and we are getting better. Nothing is linear.
“We are talking about human beings and people who fluctuate and may feel a bit of fatigue or distraction. You may miss a couple of guys that are really important in your fulcrum and that can really impact on things. But I feel like we are making progress.”
He knows people can be impatient for success.
Indeed, Schmidt reflects on his initial weeks with Leinster in 2010 in that regard.
“I’ll never forget my start in Leinster,” he said. “You talk about losing in Italy and losing in Treviso in game four. The experienced Irish boys had just come back in and apparently I had lost the dressing room.
“The first question I was asked at the end next press conference was, ‘Joe, is this the beginning of the end of Leinster Rugby?’ I thought that was a little melodramatic.
“If you just keep working hard and you have a motivated group and a growth mindset, then you can hopefully arrive somewhere that maybe strikes beyond expectations that people had.
“If you never read it, Turn The Ship Around [by L. David Marquet], where they talk a lot about legacy and a lot of it is what you leave behind. That was my commitment to Les and to Rugby Australia, I try to leave it so it is ready to go.
“Now, it is certainly not how I leave it. We’ve got a really good staff and we are all working hard and so are the players.”
Working hard has never been in doubt when it comes to Joe Schmidt.
So what comes next after the Wallabies?
Would he ever return to Ireland for another job?
“Maybe Terenure, but Carlos has got that job, and I’m so old I coached Carlos,” said Schmidt.
“No, I won’t be doing that. I’m just hoping I can have a bit of time in both hemispheres and share time with kids and friends.
“I haven’t got anything planned other than trying to spend some time with my youngest son, Luke, and get out on the golf course and just breathe for a while.”
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'The first three people, 'Howiya Joe?' - Schmidt happy to be back in Ireland
THE DOWNPOUR IN Dublin yesterday left the Wallabies scrambling for a pitch to train on today.
They had been scheduled to do their session at Wanderers, but they realised last night that the pitch there would still be too sodden.
That was at 10:47pm. Some teams might have struggled to get things sorted as quickly as the Wallabies from there, but Joe Schmidt has strong links in the Irish capital.
They got on the phone to Blackrock College, where the main pitch is immaculate, and last-minute plans were put in place for the Wallabies to be able to drive on with their session this morning.
“You know, as a Terenure man, that was a really big favour,” said Schmidt with a smile today.
The Wallabies head coach has a longstanding connection with Terenure club and school, where his son, Tim, previously played. Schmidt points out that Terenure, now coached by Carlos Spencer, have a huge derby game against St Mary’s on Saturday in the AIL, a match he’s disappointed he won’t be able to get to.
Of course, he has connections all over Dublin and Ireland from his nine-year spell working with Leinster and Ireland.
He’s back for the second year in a row with the Wallabies, who are looking to rebound from last weekend’s disappointing defeat to Italy. The pressure is on from back in Australia.
So Schmidt is happy to be back in familiar surroundings.
He met Mick Kearney, his former Ireland team manager, for a cuppa yesterday.
“We had some of Keith Earls’ coffee, it was real nice,” said Schmidt. “There’s always a little bit of banter.”
He’s meeting Rory Best, his former Ireland captain, tomorrow. And there has been time to catch up with some of his family.
His son, Tim, is now back living in Dublin after a few years in Melbourne.
Schmidt’s brother, Jamie, a partner at Deloitte, lives in Blackrock.
“I caught up with the family on Tuesday for a bit of dinner,” said Schmidt. “And that’s part of the balance as well.
“Family is always a great kind of distraction and opportunity to just be able to step outside the bubble you’re in, which can eat away at you a little bit and breathe for a few hours.”
It’s not just family and rugby acquaintances who have welcomed Schmidt back.
“I got out of an Uber in town yesterday morning and I was with our manager, Chris Thomson.
“The first three people walking past, ‘Hey Joe, howiya Joe?’
“It’s just a really nice feeling. like you’re kind of home.”
Schmidt is looking forward to returning to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
His Wallabies nearly beat Ireland there last November, but Andy Farrell’s side came from behind to win 22-19.
Of course, Schmidt has many happy memories in the stadium.
“I love the stadium, even though it dips away at one end, which was always something that was a bit unusual,” he said.
“I remember coming back last year and familiar faces, so I guess there’s always comfort and familiarity and being familiar with a lot of the people, as much as anything.”
Mention of the Aviva brings out some sentimentality in him.
He has tried to walk away from the Wallabies job a few times now, but has been convinced to stay on into next year when Les Kiss, his former Ireland assistant coach, will take over.
With the pressure mounting on the Wallabies all over again in recent weeks at the end of a long season, Schmidt has been reminded of his plans to take a break from the top level.
“I have always thought – I know this may sound bizarre – but going past the Sandymount Hotel, I look at all those people having pints and really enjoying themselves and I’m feeling like I’m in this sardine can of pressure.
“I look out there and think, ‘One day, I’m going to get amongst those people and drift into that stadium and enjoy watching a game where I’m not so emotionally hanging off everything that happens.’
“I have been looking forward to finishing for a long time and it was a phone call from a mate of mine that had me end up here. I’ve got to say I really enjoy it. I still really enjoy the on-field coaching and the interactions with a motivated group of people and great staff. The boys have been great and we are getting better. Nothing is linear.
“We are talking about human beings and people who fluctuate and may feel a bit of fatigue or distraction. You may miss a couple of guys that are really important in your fulcrum and that can really impact on things. But I feel like we are making progress.”
He knows people can be impatient for success.
Indeed, Schmidt reflects on his initial weeks with Leinster in 2010 in that regard.
“I’ll never forget my start in Leinster,” he said. “You talk about losing in Italy and losing in Treviso in game four. The experienced Irish boys had just come back in and apparently I had lost the dressing room.
“The first question I was asked at the end next press conference was, ‘Joe, is this the beginning of the end of Leinster Rugby?’ I thought that was a little melodramatic.
“If you just keep working hard and you have a motivated group and a growth mindset, then you can hopefully arrive somewhere that maybe strikes beyond expectations that people had.
“If you never read it, Turn The Ship Around [by L. David Marquet], where they talk a lot about legacy and a lot of it is what you leave behind. That was my commitment to Les and to Rugby Australia, I try to leave it so it is ready to go.
“Now, it is certainly not how I leave it. We’ve got a really good staff and we are all working hard and so are the players.”
Working hard has never been in doubt when it comes to Joe Schmidt.
So what comes next after the Wallabies?
Would he ever return to Ireland for another job?
“Maybe Terenure, but Carlos has got that job, and I’m so old I coached Carlos,” said Schmidt.
“No, I won’t be doing that. I’m just hoping I can have a bit of time in both hemispheres and share time with kids and friends.
“I haven’t got anything planned other than trying to spend some time with my youngest son, Luke, and get out on the golf course and just breathe for a while.”
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