Schmidt: I should know by Friday

The IRFU may have set no deadline on the appointment of a new head coach for the national side, but Joe Schmidt believes he will have a good idea as to whether or not he will be Declan Kidney’s successor by Friday.

The Leinster coach is one of four men who will be interviewed by the union for the vacant post in the coming two days and the Kiwi has spoken again about aspects of the job which are attractive and others which are not. Schmidt spoke of an “exciting” Ireland squad and admitted again the role was one which would be even more attractive after three years operating full-tilt on a weekly basis at provincial level.

“There are other aspects of it that would probably suit family life a little bit more than the 24/7 that I spend thinking about rugby – if not doing it and analysing it,” he told reporters at UCD.