Joe Schmidt's not-so-fond farewell as IRFU blame him for World Cup failure
Less than seven weeks after Ireland were humiliatingly bundled out of the World Cup on the back of a record quarter-final defeat, a whole heap of blame has just been deposited at the door of Joe Schmidt.
Just twelve months ago the New Zealander was wildly feted around Ireland. He had just been voted World Rugby’s coach of the year on the back of a calendar year where his team had clinched the Six Nations Grand Slam, won a tour series in Australia and beaten the All Blacks in Dublin.
Now after a chronic World Cup that featured pool defeat to hosts Japan, a limp display against minnows Russia and then a shredding by New Zealand in the quarter-finals, the coach with the once untouchable reputation is now being blamed for his second poor World Cup finish just weeks after voluntarily giving up the job he held since 2013.
In what amounted to a PR buck-passing exercise that ensured IRFU high performance boss David Nucifora and incoming head coach Andy Farrell – Schmidt’s assistant since 2016 – were absolved of blame, Nucifora appeared in front of a selected group of handpicked media to deliver a damning verdict on Schmidt’s World Cup campaign.
The review, which involved Nucifora interviewing coaches and relevant management staff while an independent body spoke with players, identified four key areas for Ireland’s latest calamitous World Cup – failure to evolve the game plan, performance anxiety, poor preparation and a skills deficit.
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These deficiencies were all placed at Schmidt’s door despite Nucifora’s own involvement with the IRFU since 2014 – he even delivered the post-mortem on the 2015 World Cup failure and some of those shortcomings were repeated at RWC 2019 – and Farrell’s position as part of the Schmidt management set-up since the 2016 tour to South Africa.
In media reports about the review that seemingly contained upwards of 50 recommendations following on from RWC 2019, Nucifora, who was handed a contract extension through to 2022 just months before the World Cup failure, said: “Should we have developed our game further? Potentially, yes, with the benefit of hindsight. We pay our coaches for those decisions. They have been good at those for a long period of time.
Ireland promised after 2015 they would not be caught winging it at the 2019 RWC with an inexperienced out-half starting at No10 in a big match in place of Johnny Sexton, but they have not delivered on that aim https://t.co/Y2QThUAiJW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 27, 2019
“We could have gone down that path, but I want to be clear there is no guarantee it would have produced a better result. Should we have armed our players with more tools? In hindsight, we should have but that is easy for me to say that sitting here now… it potentially could have really turned to custard for us. It’s a learning for us in terms of managing the future.”
Farrell, who jarringly has been handed a contract through to the 2023 World Cup despite never before taking charge of a team, is gearing up for his first Six Nations game, the February 1 encounter with Scotland in Dublin.
RugbyPass sifts through the Ireland wreckage following a torrid night in Tokyo, an elimination that was promised would not be repeated after mistakes were identified in 2015https://t.co/VzQ9eGwBIl
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
Rather than agree that Farrell’s capabilities must be questioned after Ireland conceded eight tries in a pre-World Cup embarrassment at the hands of England and then seven tries versus New Zealand at the finals, Nucifora handed Schmidt’s successor a clean slate.
“Why would he be tainted? No, I don’t think he’s been tainted at all. Like anything, you benefit from the experience and, again, it might be harsh and it hurts but the benefit you get from losing, you actually learn more so he has got that benefit and he is now in charge of running the show.”
WATCH: RugbyPass looks back on some of our favourite moments with the fans at the 2019 World Cup in Japan
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
45 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
45 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
45 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
45 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
45 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
45 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
45 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments