Focused Joe Schmidt not getting caught up in farewell fever

Joe Schmidt begins preparations for Saturday’s final summer Test against Wales and his last home game as Ireland head coach.

A week after Warren Gatland brought the curtain down on his 12-year tenancy at the Principality Stadium with a rare home defeat to Ireland, Schmidt will take his final bow in Dublin before embarking on the final campaign of his six-and-a-half-year tenure with the national side before taking a rugby sabbatical.

Gatland, who will take charge of Super Rugby’s Chiefs in his native Waikato, New Zealand, for 2020, admitted he had been emotional about his last visit to the stadium where his team landed a third Grand Slam of his reign last March with a comprehensive win over Ireland.

But Schmidt said he would probably be in a different place to his rival this weekend.

“No wonder he’s emotional after 12 years,” Schmidt said of Gatland, “there’s a difference between six-and-a-half years and 12 .... I’m a little bit mad, he’s got to be crazy. He’s done a super job.

“They’ve won four championships, he’s got those Grand Slams. He’s left a legacy he can be comfortable with.”

Schmidt referenced the recent family bereavement that took him back to New Zealand during preparations for the opening summer series Test against Italy and the onerous task of cutting his training squad from 40 to 31 ahead of today’s tournament deadline.

“To be honest, I won’t be too emotional. I’ll be bedraggled after making those phone calls (to disappointed players) and a little bit dazed and confused probably.

“It’s been a really tough three or four weeks for me, emotionally, anyway, so it puts things into perspective.”

Schmidt said he was looking forward to getting back on the training pitch once those hard decisions have been made.

“I enjoy coaching. That’s the bit I love. I get out on the pitch, I can really enjoy dialling in and trying to help players and keep them under pressure. Matchdays, are a pressure cooker, to be honest.

I won’t miss matchdays, except there have been some pretty special matches and I’ll miss those precious moments post-match and just before the end of the match when you know you’ve actually tied something up that’s pretty special.

“I’ll miss the people I’ve worked with, massively. I really enjoy the people I work with.”