Isa Nacewa fails in attempt to lure ‘next Joe Schmidt’ to Leinster

Isa Nacewa has failed in his attempt to bring ‘the next Joe Schmidt’ to Leinster.

Nacewa, who has recently returned to the province’s playing staff two years after retiring from the game and relocating home to New Zealand, was the man who acted as the instigator for Schmidt’s arrival at Leinster in 2010.

The story goes that Schmidt had contacted the once-capped Fiji international in an attempt to lure him to Clermont Auvergne, where he was assistant coach to Vern Cotter. Nacewa, famously, suggested that Schmidt make the opposite journey.

The rest, as they say, is history.

And Nacewa revealed yesterday that he had done his best to strike gold for a second time by speaking with Tasman Makos coach and New Zealand U20s assistant Leon MacDonald before making the switch back to Ireland.

MacDonald is highly-rated in his native land — more so now with the Baby Blacks winning the Junior World Cup last week — and did a u-turn only last month when deciding to stay with Tasman after agreeing to replace Aaron Mauger as assistant coach with the Crusaders.

“I did my best to guide the one person that I would recommend,” said Nacewa. “I’ve got massive respect for Leon MacDonald, his theories of coaching, how he does things and what he’s done with the Tasman Makos and the (New Zealand) U20s.

“His brand of rugby is really attractive. I’ve got massive respect for him. It is just not on his agenda at the moment. He’s got the next couple of years planned out and coaching Leinster, or being overseas, isn’t one of them.”

Leo Cullen is currently serving as interim head coach after the May departure of Matt O’Connor with Girvan Dempsey, John Fogarty and Kurt McQuilkin all installed in the new-look management team.