Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Joe Schmidt settles into a seat at a noisy cafe in a hidden lane in Cardiff.
It’s a chilly afternoon but the pair of thongs on his feet is a giveaway Schmidt has spent much of the last decade in Ireland. Sartorial clues about Schmidt’s future are a little harder to decipher, however. The Wallabies coach is also wearing a cap with the logo of Australia’s bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The bid part was successfully resolved a few years ago but Schmidt’s involvement at the tournament is up in the air – and right now, it is the million-dollar question for everyone in Australian rugby, from boardroom to living room. Since signing on as the saviour of the Wallabies in January, amid the wreckage of the disastrous 2023 Rugby World Cup, the New Zealander has not only helped Australian rugby back to its feet, he’s got the code up and running again. A day after sitting for an interview with this masthead, Schmidt’s Wallabies would dispatch Wales by a record score and keep alive their hopes of a grand slam tour of the UK and Ireland.
There are tough matches against Scotland and Ireland to come, but after a famous win over England at the start of the tour, success won’t be measured by staying undefeated. Already, the winning Wallabies are back in the natio.