Joe Schmidt craving consistency as excuses start to wear thin

Joe Schmidt will have to try and park the “what ifs” of a miserable night in Cardiff as the prospect of a visit to Dublin from Grand Slam-chasing England looms on Saturday.

With Ireland’s own Six Nations title aspirations buried by Wales on Friday at the Principality Stadium, head coach Schmidt’s side are now reduced to the role of spoilers when opposite number Eddie Jones brings his triumphant English side to the Aviva Stadium in search of a world record 19 consecutive top-tier Test victories.

That might have been a familiar and even preferred designation for many of his predecessors in the Irish hot seat but for Schmidt, slayer of the All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks in 2016, it will not sit comfortably at all.