Is Joe Schmidt the right man for Australia?

The Counter Ruck

Former Leinster and Ireland boss Joe Schmidt looks to have begun a miraculous turnaround with the Wallabies. From failing to get out of their poor group at last year’s World Cup and finishing bottom of the Rugby Championship, Schmidt has taken his side to the Northern Hemisphere this November and earned wins over England and Wales.

But are his methods conducive to long term Australian success? Towards the end of his time on these shores, he became renowned for prescriptive rugby, for instructing his players to minimise risk. Does this chime with the historical Aussie penchant for attacking flair?

Gordon D’Arcy used to play under Schmidt at Leinster and Ireland. Alongside Nathan Spooner, the former Leinster and Australia outhalf, we talk through Schmidt’s philosophy. Is he as one-dimensional a coach as people might think? Can he adapt his own methods to stay ahead of the game? What is Schmidt doing differently with Australia to what he implemented with Ireland? Does rugby’s move to a more unstructured game plan suit Ireland or Australia better?

We also look back at the 2001 Celtic League Cup final, where D’Arcy and Spooner combined in the Leinster backline to secure a famous victory over Munster at Lansdowne Road.

Produced by John Casey.

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