19 January 2024 , 11:30
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Australia have confirmed the appointment of Joe Schmidt as their new head coach, succeeding Eddie Jones.
The former England boss lasted less than a year in the role, resigning after the Wallabies failed to make it out of the World Cup pool stages for the first time. He quit to take over as Japan boss after the tournament, leaving Australian Rugby in turmoil.
They've now turned to Schmidt, who had been serving on the New Zealand coaching staff. He helped them reach the World Cup final but left after their narrow defeat. He's now been given the top job in Australia with his work with Ireland and Leinster leaving him with an impressive CV.
Schmidt has signed a two-year deal, which will see him lead Australia against the Lions in 18 months, and said: "I thought it was a good opportunity to try to pitch in and get Australia up and running. It's a rebuild that will take a little bit of time and I'm probably a pragmatist.
"I can't promise anything other than I'll be working really hard to try to make it as successful as it can be. I'm also a realistic coach - you are judged on your outcomes and you live or die by them."
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The Kiwi led Ireland for six years from 2013, leading them to three Six Nations titles and a Grand Slam in 2018. Schmidt oversaw their rise to the top of the world rankings for the first time and also masterminded their first win over the All Blacks in more than a century.
During his time at the helm of Irish rugby he bought Andy Farrell on board as his defence coach. That decision came just after he'd been sacked as part of England's coaching staff with Farrell later taking the reigns from Schmidt when he left the head coach role in 2019.
Andy Farrell was given his first Ireland role by Joe Schmidt in 2016“It’s great to have Andy coming into our coaching team,” said Schmidt when he appointed him. “The quality of his delivery and breadth of his experience, as well as the positive impact he had when coaching a number of our senior players during the 2013 Lions tour, will add real value for us.”
Farrell has taken on the work laid by Schmidt and made Ireland among the best teams in the world. They've won another Grand Slam and secured a first ever series win in New Zealand, albeit they couldn't end their quarter-final hoodoo at World Cups.
Farrell's work on the Emerald Isle made him the outstanding candidate for the British and Irish Lions head coach role, which he was handed recently. It means the ex-rugby league star will lead the outfit against Australia in 2025 against his old boss, Schmidt.