Schmidt makes the right moves

Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final

It may not be the most obvious career path but it is devoid of wrong turns or dead ends and the expectation is that the graph will curve sharply skywards yet again in the coming days when the IRFU announce the results of their deliberations over a new coach for the national side.

Schmidt’s success since his arrival in Dublin in the summer of 2010 when he took over from Michael Cheika as the province’s head coach has been rightly lauded and — as the accompanying panel attests — he will likely clear out his office at the season’s end as the most successful coach ever of a professional provincial Irish side.