Joe Schmidt Departs Post 2019 World Cup

Schmidt Departs Post World Cup 2019

Joe Schmidt has confirmed he will leave his position as Ireland Head Coach after Irish involvement at the 2019 World Cup ends. He has been head coach since 2013 after a successful spell in charge of Leinster having replaced current Australia head coach Michael Cheika in 2010.

He will be succeeded by his current defence coach Andy Farrell who will take over as Head coach from late 2019 until his new deal which he signed last season ends in 2021.

Before that Schmidt was brought to Europe by Vern Cotter as Clermont Auvergne attack coach from 2007 to 2010. He has overhauled how the general public views rugby in his time as Ireland head coach. His professionalism and appetite for work and trying to achieve goals has been a sight to behold.

Now that he has made his position crystal clear will mean that Ireland can fully focus on the challenge at hand of defending the 6 Nations title and trying to better their recent results at World Cup’s.

All the questions about whether he will stay or go will now cease and he can enjoy a few days off before the job will begin again of trying to plot a successful conclusion to his time in Ireland. He has been an incredible addition to Irish rugby over the past 8 years firstly with Leinster and latterly with Ireland.

Yes the 2015 World Cup didn’t go to plan but he has done well in correcting that failure in building squad depth and delivering a Grand Slam, a Series win in Australia, defeating New Zealand twice in 3 years after 28 unsuccessful attempts until November 2016. He has achieved way and above what would have been expected when he was given the job in 2013.

He will be succeeded by Andy Farrell who has been his defence coach since 2016, this will be a first Head Coach role for Farrell who has been an assistant coach with England and the British and Irish Lions. Who Farrell will have in his coaching team will be very interesting due to the fact that Greg Feek will also leave his role as Ireland’s scrum coach after the 2019 World Cup.

He was replaced in the scrum coach’s job with Leinster by John Fogarty who Ireland may look to move into the job that will soon be vacated by Feek. We have less than 12 months to get used to the idea that Joe Schmidt will leave Ireland after the 2019 World Cup.

Also will there be a play for a man like Ronan O Gara who will have completed his 2nd year with the Crusaders to form part of the new look Irish coaching team, Simon Easterby who also signed the same length of extension as Farrell last year. He will most likely be retained by Farrell. Only time will tell though.

These are interesting times for the IRFU, Farrell has a period of time to learn a few more bits and pieces from the master and then it will be Andy Farrell in charge post World Cup. Joe Schmidt will now plan for his final few months in charge and see what will happen when the 6 Nations kicks off in early 2019.

He has a job to do so you can be sure we won’t have repeat of all that went with the retirement of Brian O Driscoll in 2014 when every last moment was documented and marked. Here’s hoping that 2019 will be a year to remember for all the right reasons….

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