If Joe Schmidt swings around on Monday and says (by email) that he’s sticking around until 2023, you can knock us down with a feather.
The Ireland head coach has assured rugby fans and his employers, the IRFU, that they will have a final decision on his future.
Schmidt admitted his head was “wrecked” over the decision to stay or go. The wind would appear to be whistling in a southerly direction, and Schmidt taking over as All Blacks head coach after the 2019 World Cup.
The Kiwi answered two questions on his impending decision after Ireland’s 54-17 victory. His second contained a line that would surely worry most Irish rugby supporters.
Asked if he needs to talk to a few people close to him, he replied, “A little bit, yeah.
“The [IRFU] have said, ‘Look, don’t be rash, if you change your mind, we’d love to continue that conversation or if you change your mind, we don’t need to have a conversation or if we just continue as we are, that’s great’.
“So they’ve set out about five different scenarios just in case we could sort something out without too much drama.”
‘If you change your mind’. Those words will be ringing out in fans’ heads over the next 36 hours. The IRFU woud not be trying to changing Schmidt’s mind if he opted to stick around.
In the post-match mixed zone, Munster prop Dave Kilcoyne said:
“I’d never comment on Joe’s future, or anything like that. All I can comment on is the state Irish rugby is in at the moment, and I think Joe has it in the healthiest it has ever been. Definitely the healthiest it has ever been. He’s an incredible environment created in Irish rugby, and that filters right down to the provinces.
“All I can say is long may this continue, and let’s keep pushing the standards.”
We’ll all know by Monday.
