Schmidt insists Reds have moved past gaffe
Schmidt watched the players training under Anthony Foley yesterday, chatting to some of the players during the day, and believes there has been no visible effect on the players.
“The players were in great spirits. We watched them train and there was a really good intensity to the training.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of the season and seeing those guys deflect the focus onto the rugby, as opposed to something that was human error.”
The performance evaluations, which contained personal criticisms of players, were sent to the whole squad in error, but the Ireland coach believes the situation has been handled in the best possible manner by the Munster management team.
“I think Anthony Foley has managed it really well. He was up front with the players, I know that they had a meeting and put their hands up and, at the same time, said ‘let’s roll our sleeves up, get on with the job at hand and we apologise, it won’t happen again’.
“It was an error and I’m not sure what else you can do in a situation like that, because we have all been in situations where we haven’t done something right.
“You always want to get it right and you always want to be incredibly careful with individual conversations that you’ve had with players, but some of those individual conversations are borne out quite publicly in selection anyway, so there are hints that come out.
“This is a bit more definitive but I personally think they have worked really hard to get past it and I hope this Friday the focus is solely on rugby.”
Schmidt was speaking before giving a talk to members of Clonakilty RFC and delivered reassuring news on the health of fly-half Jonathan Sexton, who broke his jaw last weekend: “We’d be confident that he’ll be involved in the Guinness series, provided there are no further complications or mishaps.”
Schmidt was looking on the bright side of the injury, which will ensure than Sexton is coming into the series fresh, avoiding a repeat of last year when the Racing Metro star had come through a gruelling series of matches in the build-up.
“I guess if there is any silver lining to this cloud, it is that Johnny won’t be coming in in November having played 13 games in 12 weeks. It’s an accidental management of his playing time that is not our preference but the news could be worse; if it was a worse fracture or a worse injury, he’d be missing the Guinness series.”
Schmidt confirmed the injury won’t have any impact on delaying an announcement about Sexton’s next career move, as the former Leinster star considers a return home.
“That doesn’t have any impact on the contract negotiations. What they are talking about is the future and I don’t think it will affect Johnny long term.”
