Schmidt: Feek return will boost Leinster

Joe Schmidt believes Leinster will reap the rewards from scrum coach Greg Feek’s decision not to continue his involvement with the Irish team this season.

The former All Black prop was brought to Leinster by Schmidt in 2010 and such was his success in overhauling the side’s set-piece that Declan Kidney has also utilised his coaching skills this past two campaigns.

“Greg came back about five weeks late, after (Ireland’s) New Zealand tour, so he still hasn’t had a lot of time with the players,” said Schmidt.

“He has been doing a little bit more of the defensive stuff, which is great for us. That will grow and we will see profit from that as the season goes on.”

The IRFU has still not filled the post of high-performance scrum coach, advertised last March, while Kidney has not yet replaced Feek.