Joe Schmidt: 'Gut feel, I'd like to go with the home-based player'
New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is thinking local when it comes to player selection and his assistants as he settles into his new role. Schmidt spent his first official day as Australia’s coach in Melbourne where he is taking in the Super Round, with all 12 teams playing at AAMI Park over the weekend.
A Kiwi who steered Ireland to world No1 in his six years at the helm and who was part of New Zealand’s push to the final at last year’s Rugby World Cup, Schmidt said he was excited by the challenge that lay ahead with Australia.
He is looking to revive the Wallabies’ fortunes after their historic World Cup pool-round exit under then-coach Eddie Jones. Schmidt admitted he had already started compiling a dossier on players, including video clips, and had started putting together possible line-ups in his head.
Jones was given the freedom to pick as many overseas-based players as he wished, but Schmidt said that, based on his experience with Ireland, he was leaning towards those playing in Australia.
“As much as possible it’s really important to keep the best players in the country if we can – we want to be competitive in Super Rugby,” Schmidt said.
“You want to be able to kind of have a management plan to be able to track the players and have the opportunity to see them first-hand and connect first-hand.
“Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi – there are guys around who are long-term Wallabies who are really impressive, but my gut feel at the moment, if it’s 50:50, even maybe 60:40, I’d like to go with the home-based player as much as possible, without utterly committing myself to that.”
With one full round of Super Rugby completed, Schmidt emphasised that it was a clean slate in terms of selection, giving hope to those cast aside by Jones. “This is a fresh lens for me, which means it’s a fresh opportunity for them, and I’d just love them to step up and grab it really,” he said.
“There are some young players that I didn’t really know that well that have done quite well, and there have been some other guys who have probably been a bit patchy, but the thing that I have learned is that you don’t pull the trigger and make assessments quickly.”
Schmidt plans to leave selection for the three-Test series against Wales, which starts in Sydney on July 6, until as late as possible. He said the squad would only have a three-day training camp and then the Test week to prepare.
Before that, he hopes to have a short-list of assistant coaches and other staff completed by the end of the month, again preferring those with inside knowledge of the players, rather than recruiting from overseas.
With the future of the financially wrecked Melbourne Rebels appearing grim, Schmidt was undecided in his early tenure as Wallabies coach about whether the current five teams or four was best for the national side. “There is no perfect formula,” he said.
“South Africa is really competitive and they play all across the world and then come together. Then you have teams in contrast, like Ireland and the All Blacks, who select internally exclusively, and they work really well together.
“Cohesion is a really important element, but I’m not saying it’s the only element and the opportunity for a greater breadth of players to get Super level experience is great, but that means there is maybe a little less cohesion when you are across five teams, as opposed to four. So there are pros and cons, and I haven’t been in this situation before.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments