Rugby Australia have put their trust in another New Zealand coach, confirming on Friday that Joe Schmidt will replace Eddie Jones as head coach of the Wallabies, starting the role officially on March 1.
Schmidt will coach the Wallabies for the next two seasons, leading the side through until at least the conclusion of next year’s inbound British and Irish Lions tour.
Schmidt most recently worked as the All Blacks assistant coach, notably helping to mastermind a memorable quarter-final victory over Ireland that ended their 17-match unbeaten streak, before falling to South Africa in the final.
However, it is with Ireland that Schmidt earned his reputation as one of the world’s finest rugby coaches after arriving in Dublin to take over as head coach in 2013 with the country ranked ninth in the world and low on confidence and turning them into an outstanding team.
In his six years with Ireland, he won three Six Nations titles (including the 2018 Grand Slam), defeated the All Blacks for the first time, won a series in South Africa for the first time and led the country to No.1 in the world for the first time in 2019.
The new Wallabies coach will report to Rugby Australia’s new director of high-performance, Peter Horne, who led the recruitment process and will also work closely with his performance director for Ireland, David Nucifora, who will return to Moore Park to work as an advisor later this year.
Joe Schmidt has been officially announced as new Wallabies coach.Credit: Getty
Schmidt is keen to get started with the role given an extensive upcoming schedule that includes July’s upcoming home Tests against Wales and the grand slam tour in November against England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
“I am conscious that the Wallabies have weathered a difficult period, and I am keen to help them build a way forward, with greater alignment and clear direction from RA,” Schmidt said.
“The upcoming Test matches against Wales will arrive quickly, post-Super Rugby, and the program through to the British and Irish Lions Tour next year presents plenty of opportunities and challenges, which I am sure will invigorate players and staff.
“I am looking forward to connecting with Super Rugby coaches, RA staff, and getting to observe and meet players in the coming months.”
Schmidt made his reputation as coach of Ireland, leading them to the top of the world.Credit: Getty
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh was impressed by Schmidt’s global reputation as a rugby coach and his extensive experience of working with a successful centralised system in Ireland.
“Joe has delivered success at every stop in his career – winning European titles with Leinster, winning Six Nations championships, leading Ireland to world No.1 for the first time and, most recently, his role in the All Blacks’ run to the World Cup final,” Waugh said.
“Given our stated plan to build a unified Australian rugby system, Joe’s experience with Ireland and New Zealand – two of the most aligned rugby nations in the world – will no doubt prove valuable as we move forward.
“He has a global view of the game from his experience in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and his appointment puts us in a strong position as we build towards the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour.”
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