Schmidt: Championship win would be ‘special achievement’

Joe Schmidt believes victory in France next Saturday and an RBS 6 Nations title in his first season in charge would represent an over-achievement for his Ireland side.

With away games in London and Paris on Ireland’s schedule for his first championship since taking over as head coach last summer, the former Leinster boss had targeted a top-three finish.

With one game to go, Ireland top the table with a significant points difference advantage over both England, who beat Wales 29-18 at Twickenham yesterday, and France, who scored a last-gasp 19-17 win against Scotland at Murrayfield.

All three title contenders are level on six points but Ireland’s 46-7 victory over Italy in Dublin on Saturday means they have a +81 points difference, with the English on +32 and France on +3.

England go to Italy for their last game but a first Ireland victory at Stade de France since 2000 would more than likely secure a first championship title since 2009 and Schmidt said: “I’d love to do it,” before warning: “To be honest we could go to Paris and finish third.

“I don’t think you’re ever down the road, you’re just where you are and you go again. How we’re going along the line? The line has got dips and troughs, peaks and highs and what we’re trying to do is flatline at a very high level and hopefully that’s good enough.

“There are imperfections in all of us, ... it’s an imperfect game, where you get imperfect decisions made by anyone on the field and therefore we just have to make sure we’re adaptable enough that we can cope, that we can focus on the task at hand. In eight days, hopefully, we’ll be in a really good position and, I think, really overachieved. If we can win a Six Nations having gone away to England and France, that would be a bit special.”

Schmidt should have a full deck to call on with no post-match concerns reported following Saturday’s game. Scrum-half Conor Murray lasted just 16 minutes having failed to shake off an overnight illness but the head coach said he was not a doubt for France and the rest of his changes in clearing the bench had been tactical. That was updated yesterday when the IRFU issued a medical bulletin and said loosehead prop Cian Healy, replaced after scoring a 53rd-minute try, had taken a knock to his ankle.

“In an effort to expedite his recovery and limit swelling he was put in a boot overnight and is already recovering well,” the IRFU said before adding that two-try scorer Johnny Sexton had come through the game well and his right thumb injury suffered against England “was not a problem”.

The Racing Metro playmaker was nevertheless protecting the digit at the final whistle by shaking hands with his left hand having been replaced by Paddy Jackson after 64 minutes.