“The bit where it’s kinda comparing Matt with Joe.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, Matt absolutely hates being compared with Joe.”
********************
As Leinster’s efforts to find a successor to Matt O’Connor as head coach continue, the spectre of Joe Schmidt looms over every potential candidate.
It’s why it makes sense for Leinster to go big this time, to appoint a man who has a well-established head coaching record of his own, a personality with the strength to instantly command a degree of respect from the province’s players.
Schmidt remains fondly thought of by Leinster fans. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
That, or let Schmidt pick the next man in the door at UCD.
The Kiwi’s reputation still fills the corridors of Leinster’s training base and sits comfortably in the Anglesea Stand at the RDS. His history of success with the province and now as national team boss has altered how coaches are assessed in Ireland.
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Schmidt has lifted the bar for everyone who occupies or will occupy a head coaching job in this country. His record and popularity are difficult to live up to.
O’Connor clearly didn’t match up, even if he did enjoy trophy success in his first season in charge with the Pro12 title. Thereafter, results, style of play and his dealings with the media painted the Australian in an ever-worsening light and his recent departure was the best option for all parties.
It’s not just at Leinster that coaches are assessed against the Schmidt standard. Anthony Foley, Neil Doak and Pat Lam are also up against it in their own ways, perhaps even with their own players.
It would be interesting to truly learn whether Munster, Ulster and Connacht’s international players question their provincial coaches that little bit more after extensive involvement in Schmidt’s Ireland squad.
That is not to suggest that Foley, Doak and Lam might not ultimately prove to be better and more successful coaches than Schmidt, but it would be intriguing to get honest opinions from players in this regard.
No wonder O’Connor hated any comparisons with Schmidt by his players, particularly as he was often going to come out of them on the negative side.
In one way, it’s unfair to make the comparison but it’s totally natural to do so and in reality it’s a good thing that Schmidt has raised the standard to such a high level. More quality than ever is expected from coaches in Leinster and Ireland now; we will only accept the best.
Even after a Pro12 success, O'Connor was unfavourably compared to Schmidt. Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
So where do Leinster find another Schmidt? Are there other coaches out there with his quality?
The success of any head coach is very much dependent on the circumstances around him, as well as being related to his or her own qualities. We love big turning points in sport, but it’s quite clear that Schmidt’s achievements with Leinster were reliant on a group of players at their peak, the good work of Michael Cheika and others before him, and even some luck.
That’s not to belittle anything he did, but the point is that the coming together of a whole series of factors, with Schmidt at the helm, brought glory to Leinster.
Matt O’Connor certainly isn’t the worst coach in the world, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the wrong man for the job.
Leo Cullen will “oversee the pre-season regime” in his role as interim head coach, with head of fitness Dan Tobin naturally enough central to that programme too. Leinster are in “no immediate rush,” to appoint O’Connor’s successor, according to Dawson.
It’s sensible for Leinster to take their time over this one, having made the wrong move in bringing O’Connor in to attempt to replace Schmidt. Cullen may be the man in charge of pre-season but we can be sure that Girvan Dempsey will have a part to play too.
Dempsey is highly regarded by Schmidt and within Leinster. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Unprompted, the Ireland coach mentioned the “superb” Dempsey twice during the April press briefing he and David Nucifora held to put O’Connor straight after his complaints about the player management system.
Schmidt again mentioned Dempsey last week in Limerick ahead of the Barbarians clash, stating that the Leinster man had come into camp alongside Allan Clarke before that pair take the Emerging Ireland squad to the Tbilisi Cup later this month.
Dempsey has done impressive work in his former role as Leinster’s elite player development officer and now as academy manager and head coach of the province’s A team.
And yet for all of his undoubted coaching promise, installing Dempsey as Leinster head coach alongside Cullen would be another risk for Dawson and co. to take. Cullen and Dempsey know the province and understand the stylistic issues of coaching Leinster, but they have no experience of leading a coaching team at senior level.
They are well liked by the players of course, but then so too was O’Connor. Popularity is no measure of potential success.
Whether the lack of an “immediate rush” on Leinster’s part extends beyond the World Cup or even further remains to be seen, but there is one certainty for whoever eventually gets the gig.
More than two years on, the shadow of Schmidt will loom over their every move.
The Schmidt effect: Ireland coach's shadow looms over Leinster job
“ACTUALLY, CAN YOU leave that bit out?”
“Which bit?”
“The bit where it’s kinda comparing Matt with Joe.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, Matt absolutely hates being compared with Joe.”
********************
As Leinster’s efforts to find a successor to Matt O’Connor as head coach continue, the spectre of Joe Schmidt looms over every potential candidate.
It’s why it makes sense for Leinster to go big this time, to appoint a man who has a well-established head coaching record of his own, a personality with the strength to instantly command a degree of respect from the province’s players.
That, or let Schmidt pick the next man in the door at UCD.
The Kiwi’s reputation still fills the corridors of Leinster’s training base and sits comfortably in the Anglesea Stand at the RDS. His history of success with the province and now as national team boss has altered how coaches are assessed in Ireland.
Schmidt has lifted the bar for everyone who occupies or will occupy a head coaching job in this country. His record and popularity are difficult to live up to.
O’Connor clearly didn’t match up, even if he did enjoy trophy success in his first season in charge with the Pro12 title. Thereafter, results, style of play and his dealings with the media painted the Australian in an ever-worsening light and his recent departure was the best option for all parties.
It’s not just at Leinster that coaches are assessed against the Schmidt standard. Anthony Foley, Neil Doak and Pat Lam are also up against it in their own ways, perhaps even with their own players.
It would be interesting to truly learn whether Munster, Ulster and Connacht’s international players question their provincial coaches that little bit more after extensive involvement in Schmidt’s Ireland squad.
That is not to suggest that Foley, Doak and Lam might not ultimately prove to be better and more successful coaches than Schmidt, but it would be intriguing to get honest opinions from players in this regard.
No wonder O’Connor hated any comparisons with Schmidt by his players, particularly as he was often going to come out of them on the negative side.
In one way, it’s unfair to make the comparison but it’s totally natural to do so and in reality it’s a good thing that Schmidt has raised the standard to such a high level. More quality than ever is expected from coaches in Leinster and Ireland now; we will only accept the best.
So where do Leinster find another Schmidt? Are there other coaches out there with his quality?
The success of any head coach is very much dependent on the circumstances around him, as well as being related to his or her own qualities. We love big turning points in sport, but it’s quite clear that Schmidt’s achievements with Leinster were reliant on a group of players at their peak, the good work of Michael Cheika and others before him, and even some luck.
That’s not to belittle anything he did, but the point is that the coming together of a whole series of factors, with Schmidt at the helm, brought glory to Leinster.
Matt O’Connor certainly isn’t the worst coach in the world, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the wrong man for the job.
At the bottom of yesterday’s Leinster press release on scrum coach Marco Caputo’s decision to leave the province, CEO Mick Dawson provided an update on the search for a new head coach.
Leo Cullen will “oversee the pre-season regime” in his role as interim head coach, with head of fitness Dan Tobin naturally enough central to that programme too. Leinster are in “no immediate rush,” to appoint O’Connor’s successor, according to Dawson.
It’s sensible for Leinster to take their time over this one, having made the wrong move in bringing O’Connor in to attempt to replace Schmidt. Cullen may be the man in charge of pre-season but we can be sure that Girvan Dempsey will have a part to play too.
Schmidt says he will have no involvement in Leinster’s efforts to find a new coach, but he’s clearly a fan of Dempsey.
Unprompted, the Ireland coach mentioned the “superb” Dempsey twice during the April press briefing he and David Nucifora held to put O’Connor straight after his complaints about the player management system.
Schmidt again mentioned Dempsey last week in Limerick ahead of the Barbarians clash, stating that the Leinster man had come into camp alongside Allan Clarke before that pair take the Emerging Ireland squad to the Tbilisi Cup later this month.
Dempsey has done impressive work in his former role as Leinster’s elite player development officer and now as academy manager and head coach of the province’s A team.
And yet for all of his undoubted coaching promise, installing Dempsey as Leinster head coach alongside Cullen would be another risk for Dawson and co. to take. Cullen and Dempsey know the province and understand the stylistic issues of coaching Leinster, but they have no experience of leading a coaching team at senior level.
They are well liked by the players of course, but then so too was O’Connor. Popularity is no measure of potential success.
Whether the lack of an “immediate rush” on Leinster’s part extends beyond the World Cup or even further remains to be seen, but there is one certainty for whoever eventually gets the gig.
More than two years on, the shadow of Schmidt will loom over their every move.
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Girvan Dempsey Head Coach Ireland Joe Schmidt Leinster matt o'connor Robbie Deans standards