Murray Kinsella reports from Sydney
JOE SCHMIDT SAYS he plans to make a decision by the end of this year on whether or not to extend his contract as Ireland’s head coach.
Schmidt’s current deal brings him through until the end of the 2019 World Cup in Japan and with the IRFU hoping he will remain in charge beyond that, the New Zealander will have an important decision to make.
Regarded as one of the finest coaches in the game, Schmidt’s services will be in high demand elsewhere again but he says his family will come first in any decision he makes.
Schmidt insisted that he hasn’t given the decision any great thought just yet and won’t concentrate on doing so until after this year’s November Tests.
“That is a long way away,” said Schmidt in Sydney yesterday. “Some of that stuff will probably, by the end of this year I’d say, there will be some clear direction there because for the entire following year I am still in situ unless I get sacked.
“You just never take anything for granted. You can be flavour of the week one week and then things can turn around very quickly.
“I take nothing for granted but I have been lucky enough to do the job for as long as I have and I have really enjoyed the people I have worked with. One of the misconceptions is that a head coach has a major influence.
“I would like to think I have a degree of influence but I have a great coaching team and that includes Jason Cowman and the strength and conditioning department and the medical team.
“I think Ireland are really lucky. Conor [Murray] mentioned earlier that the coaches manage the players well but the medical people have managed them well as well. It is a really nicely oiled machine to be part of and I have benefitted from that massively.
“I would say I will try and get through the November series. That was announced recently and it will be quite exciting for us, obviously with the All Blacks coming, Argentina and the USA, with USA on the back of their first Tier one scalp [since 1924], and we’re away to Italy in Chicago which has some really special memories for us.
“That is a really nice group of games and then following that, one of the few times of the year our family manages to get together is Christmas and we will make a decision after that, I would say.”
Schmidt and wife Kellie have four children, three of whom live in Dublin, with one of their daughters back in New Zealand, where Schmidt’s mother also lives.
The Ireland head coach stressed that his family would be the most important factor in weighing up his next move.
“I think that has got to be a priority for anyone in a job because I am kept pretty happy, pretty easily, being able to work with the quality of the people that I work with, so from that perspective, it is incredibly positive,” said Schmidt.
“My family obviously extends beyond my immediate family, and there is some lingering doubt about being so far away, but I tend to be able to get back once a year and that is a pretty precious time to get back and enjoy the rest of the family. Yeah, it is one of those things, any time I have thought about it, I have stopped myself thinking about it.
“I have said ‘Yeah, just get on with the job in hand and when you get to the end of November, give yourself a couple of weeks not to linger too much over it, but just to make a decision.’
“There will be times when I lapse and think about it briefly and I think that is important as well, just so I can try to be definitive when the time comes.”
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He has taken them as far as he can.
Doesn’t seem to have the humility to resign. They have to sack him.
Stephen Kenny has well and truly had the last laugh.
Unfair- not sure he realizes he’s working in a results game and City ain’t winning
If he has any respect for himself he will quit but I suppose he’s holding out for a payoff.
It wont get any better with him still as manager.whats going to change,hes a stubborn man,nothing will change only our position in the table.second from bottom soon.thanks john.
It will be interesting to see if the Foras management team are prepared to show leadership here.
While a great admirer of his achievements over the ladt 5 years its obvious the club have stagnated now. The signs were there all last season and sadly are evident for all to see now….
Leadership has to been shown from the board in this situation if John is still adamant in staying on even tho results are in constant decline……
@Michéal Breathnach: foras i feel hasnt helped this year by cutting the budget as much as they did.how can we compete with the rest of the league losing alot of our players .we were a strong club doing well year in year out.now we are fighting to stay in the league,yes john caulfield is a big problem with hisnegative football,but foras isnt helping either.they are pulling us back now,i know people are afraid of it over what happened before,but we need proper investment in the club.
@troy holland: You are right about foras, they have to take responsibility for their part in this mess. I would love to know what their strategic plan is for the next couple of seasons, that’s if they have one. Its a dangerous game they are playing and so far it looks like they are on the wrong path….
@Michéal Breathnach: yes your right .i was wondering was i the only one thinking this.the season was lost even before it started.
Good times are gone now, foras have decided that we will no longer challenge for the League and Cup, which is fine if thats the way they want to run the club but gates will drop massively , won’t sell any merchandise and zero atmosphere at games. Wonder why Foras are so quiet at the moment? Will they publickly back the present management team? Strange…..
Looks like that question wasn’t so unfair after all.
He was stubborn when we were winning and hes still the same now. No change with him. None at all.
I feel the players have lost a huge amount of appetite and those who have come in, predominantly are no where near the quality needed.
However I do feel that a few of the younger players are real jems.
A huge reset button this season is being pushed. I hope there is a long term plan in place