It was easy to image All Blacks assistant coach Joe Schmidt sitting by alone in his hotel room under a single lightbulb, watching rugby tape on his laptop till the wee hours of the morning, as the rain pounded the tree-lined streets of Paris this week.
When it comes to up skilling and persuading players, Schmidt is an analyst, technician, and strict taskmaster—and more.
Workaholic might be added to the list.
During the World Cup in France, Schmidt has avoided press conferences in favour of doing what he loves best—assisting head coach Ian Foster and his other coaches in getting the squad ready to capture the Webb Ellis Cup on the training fields.
Photographs of Foster hovering near halfway, hands in pockets, cautiously shuffling his feet while watching opposition teams warm up, have contrasted sharply with images of Schmidt, appearing at ease as he strolls around the grass before test matches, at times happily chatting to opposition staff and players.
Don’t misread Schmidt’s behaviour leading up to the game. He is fervent and exacting. And he’s not beyond blowing up at players.
It would be simple to blame the former Ireland coach for the All Blacks’ dominance against the Springboks in the World Cup final, but that would be unfair to Foster and his other assistants.
Foster has been compelled to shoulder the majority of the blame; if the group falters, he is ultimately accountable. Assistant coaches are able to hide. Throughout his four years, the older players have consistently supported Foster both in public and privately.
Without a doubt, though, Schmidt’s contribution has been essential to the team’s performance at the world championship. Jason Ryan, the coach of the forwards, has also.
Ryan took John Plumtree’s position as forwards coach when Foster fired him last season, which was a significant step in the right direction. It had a crucial role in the All Blacks pack’s ability to defend lineout drives with greater organisation and directness.
The players revere Ryan, a straight shooter who also serves as a selector, for his feel and comprehension of the game.
Despite this, Schmidt has made a huge contribution since joining the team full-time as an assistant and selector in August of last year. This was a result of the outcry that followed the Springboks’ victory and 2-1 series loss to Ireland.
Prior to the domestic series against Ireland, Schmidt first took Grant Fox’s place as an independent selector. However, after Brad Mooar and Plumtree were fired by Foster, Schmidt was elevated to the position of backs coach.
As a selector, Schmidt’s duties included collaborating with Foster to analyse the opponent and offer strategy support. After he was appointed an assistant, it expanded significantly.
Apart from aiding Foster with the overarching plan and offensive tactics, Schmidt has concentrated on the breakdown, preserving the ball and supporting defensive coordinator Scott McLeod.
Teams need a strong, cohesive defence line to win tournaments, and the All Blacks rank fourth in the competition for tackle efficiency. Their success has come from teaching the players to change their Super Rugby mentality and concentrate on the ball instead of the man when against northern sides.
Schmidt understands the value of making a clinical tackle and can contribute on both sides of the ball.
Schmidt’s contribution to the defence, according to All Blacks captain Sam Cane, has seen a “quantum leap forward” this season.
Cane stated, “Joe Schmidt and Scott McLeod deserve a great deal of credit.” “We currently adhere to a system that includes certain skill sets and individual tackles.”
The “ruck-success” of the All Blacks is also ranked second overall in the World Cup. And clean, fast ball is essential for a team like the All Blacks.
Schmidt is renowned for his eagerness to undertake research. He watches film to see how other teams from across the globe are performing, and he saves any offensive moves he finds particularly good for later use.
It doesn’t guarantee that a tactical move he proposes will be implemented. But it’s always an option.
While Schmidt was Ireland’s coach from 2013 to 2019, he was a contentious figure. Several players didn’t like his harsh demeanour or intensity, despite the fact that he was recognized for his expertise and work ethic.
First five-eighths of All Blacks Before the quarterfinal matchup with Ireland, Richie Mo’unga responded to a question about Schmidt by providing a hilarious account of what it was like for players to run into him in a hotel hallway.
Mo’unga, who called Schmidt “a true passionate man of the game of rugby,” advised players to avoid engaging in a lengthy conversation with him by averting their eyes and continuing on their way.
“You know, you could be there for a while chatting code with him in the hallways,” Mo’unga jokingly said. “Sometimes, you just have to turn your head the other direction and attempt to escape that.
“No, he’s awesome. The different perspective of footy he has.”
In addition, Mo’unga mentioned that Schmidt had a temper and could spit bullets: “There have been a few occasions when you’ve witnessed an enraged Joe Schmidt as well, which has been pretty cool.”
Schmidt and Sir Wayne Smith are comparable in terms of inventiveness, fervour, technical skill, and dedication.
Smith coached the Black Ferns to a World Cup triumph last year and supported Sir Graham Henry and Sir Steve Hansen when the All Blacks won the World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
Schmidt guided Ireland to three Six Nations victories, but the squad was unable to go past the quarterfinals at the World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
During his reign, there were two notable hits on the All Blacks. Ireland first defeated them in Chicago in 2016 and then again in Dublin in 2018.
He spent last year working with coach Leon MacDonald at the Blues in a part-time capacity after returning to New Zealand. The Crusaders defeated the Blues in the Super Rugby Pacific final, which the Blues hosted.
He and Foster will cut their connections with NZ Rugby regardless of the result of the All Blacks vs. Springboks match at Stade de France on Sunday morning (NZT). The next coach has already been named: Scott Robertson.
To put it plainly, Foster and Schmidt were not thrilled with NZ Rugby for selecting the new coach before the competition.
Schmidt was in the thick of things last year when NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson asked Robertson to be on standby as a replacement for Foster following the series loss to Ireland and the Mbombela upset to the Springboks.
He reportedly met Robertson, who said that if he took Foster’s job, he could serve as his campaign manager. But Schmidt desired to go back to providing one-on-one tutoring.
Schmidt’s name was spoken a lot during the discussions when the All Blacks defeated the Springboks in Johannesburg after losing in Mbombela.
After consulting with top All Blacks, NZ Rugby felt that Schmidt’s involvement was necessary to provide the All Blacks a reasonable chance of winning the World Cup.
Schmidt’s inclusion in the coaching staff didn’t work out right away.
The All Blacks were fortunate to defeat the Wallabies in Melbourne, lost to Argentina in a historic match in Christchurch, and nearly lost to England in their season-ending match in London.
This year, they won the Bledisloe Cup, went undefeated in the Rugby Championship, and on August 25, they were humiliated 35-7 in London by the Springboks.
They lost 27–13 in their opening World Cup match in Paris against France two weeks later.
Despite such setbacks, the All Blacks have subsequently found their best gear, dominating Uruguay, Italy, Namibia, and Wales in the pool stages and defeating Ireland 28–24 in the quarterfinal in Paris.
Even though Schmidt stayed out of the spotlight, questions about him came up frequently at news conferences before the Irish game.
Foster, while denying Schmidt provided valuable inside oil on the Irish, admitted his exposure to the game in the northern hemisphere helped weaponise the All Blacks.
Foster remarked, “Joe has been amazing since he joined us last year.
I believe that since the middle of last year, he has been able to bring in that influence because to the knowledge and diverse coaching background he possessed. Thus, nothing else has been added, and it hasn’t been significantly weighted in favour of his understanding of Irish rugby.
As the playoffs approach, it’s funny how things really start to focus more on us than you may expect. And Ireland is undoubtedly the same.
The semifinal match saw Argentina defeated 44-6 after the victory over Ireland. This is the last one.
Whether the All Blacks win or lose, the Foster-Schmidt collaboration will come to an end.
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