Schmidt’s made Ireland what no predecessor could — consistent

In 2003’s summer, before the World Cup that autumn, Ireland travelled to Australia and onto the South Sea Islands for a three-game series. I didn’t get any minutes against the Wallabies and that sat as well as you’d expect.

A share of the frontliners went home after the test match. I travelled on, cranky and determined, with the remainder of the squad to Tonga and Samoa. David Humphreys wasn’t getting any armchair ride at ten all the way to the autumn.