Joe Schmidt Provides Update On His Future As Head Coach Of Ireland
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Will he stay?
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has revealed he will wait until after the November internationals before he makes a decision on his future.
Schmidt’s current deal runs until just after the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and he is yet to make up his mind on whether or not he will extend beyond that. IRFU performance director David Nucifora this week said he reckons there’s a ‘decent’ chance the New Zealander will stay.
“I think all the talk at the moment is about him moving on, purely because he has been here so long,” Nucifora said.
“But if I was a betting man, I wouldn’t know where to put my money at the moment. I think there’s a decent chance that he will stay.
“The first thing that’s got to happen is that he’s got to want to stay. That’s the main thing, and you all know Joe, he’s his own man. He’s got to make his decision. Obviously, we’ll do whatever we can to keep him. We had to do that the last time.”
Schmidt is currently going through the final preparations for Ireland’s crucial series decider with Australia on Saturday, but was quizzed on his future following yesterday’s team announcement.
The Ireland boss says a decision will likely be decided by the end of the year. Ultimately Schmidt says the decision will come down to whatever makes his family happy.
“I am off the hook there. That is a long way away,” he said.
“Some of that stuff will probably (be decided) by the end of this year I’d say; there will be some clear direction there because for the entire following year I am still in situ, unless I get sacked. You just never take anything for granted!
“You can be flavour of the week, one week, and then things can turn around very quickly. I take nothing for granted but I have been lucky enough to do the job for as long as I have, and I have really enjoyed the people I have worked with.
“I would say I will try and get through the November series. That is a really nice group of games and then following that, one of the few times of the year our family manages to get together is Christmas and we will make a decision after that.
“It would want my family to be happy. I think that has got to be a priority for anyone in a job.
“My family obviously extends beyond my immediate family and there is some lingering doubt about being so far away, but I tend to be able to get back once a year and that is a pretty precious time.”
