All Blacks: Joe Schmidt gives candid description on coaching against his former team
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt.
After being part of the All Blacks’ coaching staff in 2022 and 2023, Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has admitted that it will be “awkward” to coach against his former team in this year’s Rugby Championship.
Australia and New Zealand are set to face off in their highly anticipated Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney on Saturday.
New Zealander Schmidt was one of former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster’s assistants and played a big part in their run to last year’s Rugby World Cup in France – which they lost to their arch rivals the Springboks – but after the global showpiece he left that role to take over from Eddie Jones as Australia‘s head coach.
Still in touch with some All Blacks players
Schmidt was a popular figure in the All Blacks camp and he revealed that he is still in touch with some of his former players as well as his ex-players from Ireland, who he coached from 2013 to 2019.
“It will be a bit awkward, to be honest,” Schmidt told reporters. “I’ve had a lot to do with some of those players very recently.
“It’s probably not that different from going to the World Cup and coaching against Ireland or even being called in late a couple of years ago for the first Test at Eden Park for that week up against some Irish boys who I’d coached for 10 years.
“You build relationships with those people and you have a lot of respect for those people. It’s the same with the All Blacks. It’s awkward but you have a loyalty to the group of men you’re working with at the current time.
“And players understand that… because they go up against each other in a national sense as opposed to playing Super Rugby against each other.
🇦🇺 Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt admits it will be "awkward" facing players he recently worked with when his side take on the All Blacks in Sydney. #AUSvNZL #BledisloeCup #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/9jy4Y9Sa0U
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 19, 2024
“It means you understand the firepower that they [All Blacks] do have and the horsepower up front as well. You understand what you’re coming up against. I’m pretty sure the Australian players know that already.”
Schmidt worked as the All Blacks’ attack coach during his time with them which meant he spent a lot of time with their backline players.
One of the big selection calls which current All Blacks coach Scott Robertson made for the Rugby Championship Test was to bring Beauden Barrett into the run-on side at full-back and to move Will Jordan from that position.
The 59-year-old said he understands why Robertson opted to make that alteration.
‘A really good foil for Damian McKenzie’
“I think one of the things is Beauden Barrett’s experience and his kicking game and his voice in the back field,” Schmidt said. “He can be a really good foil for Damian McKenzie. That’s from my experience.
“His [Barrett’s] ability to be a second pair of hands is outstanding as well, not that (inside Jordie (Barrett) is lacking anything there, he’s a very skilful player as well.
“Having been associated with them and watching the World Cup final — playing 55 minutes with 14 players and losing by a point … that’s how narrow the margins were, so that’s how good they are. That in itself should keep our Wallaby boys on edge.”
