‘Ended in tears’: Ex-Wallaby calls out snub as new coach unveiled

Joe Schmidt, the man behind Ireland’s surge to the top of the world rankings, has been named the new Wallabies coach, but not everyone is happy.

A former Wallaby has called out Rugby Australia for overlooking an Aussie legend. Photo: Getty Images

Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt vowed Friday to “get Australia up and running” after being named as the new Wallabies head coach, replacing Eddie Jones.

Jones acrimoniously quit in October after the team’s calamitous World Cup campaign, just 10 months into a five-year contract, having won just two from nine Tests.

He has since been hired by Japan.

New Zealander Schmidt will coach the Wallabies from March 1 until at least the conclusion of the British and Irish Lions Tour in 2025, governing body Rugby Australia (RA) announced.

“I thought it was a good opportunity to try to pitch in and get Australia up and running,” Schmidt told a news conference.

The Wallabies in the World Cup were “not an Australian team that I recognised”, he said. “That was when it first really came on my radar.

“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.”

Schmidt has an amazing record as coach. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh praised Schmidt’s record, notably with Ireland and the All Blacks.

“With the appointment of Joe Schmidt as head coach, it’s a really exciting time for the Wallabies and also for rugby in Australia,” Waugh told reporters.

“Joe brings with him an enormous amount of experience, but also an enormous amount of success with each team that Joe has coached.”

Rugby Australia said details of coaching staff appointments would be announced later.

But already there has been some push back with commentator and former nine-cap Wallaby Greg Martin slamming Rugby Australia for not looking local to take the top job.

“We’re about to hire another Kiwi as the Australian Wallabies coach,” Martin said, speaking on his Triple M Breakfast with Marto, Margaux & Dan show before the hire was confirmed.

“Robbie Deans was appointed as the Wallaby coach about ten years ago then Dave Rennie only about five years ago and was sacked for Eddie Jones. So, we’ve had two Kiwis, and both times it’s ended in tears and we’re about to go down the same track.”

While it believed that Wallabies legend Stephen Larkham and Aussie coach of Leicester Dan McKellar were up for the role, Martin said it was the former Aussie fly half that ticked all the boxes for him.

“We needed Stephen Larkham, we needed a bloke who has won a World Cup who is an Australian,” Martin said.

“We’re going to overlook another Australian … for another Kiwi to coach Australia, bad move in my mind!

“We’ll get beaten by the Kiwis in July and August and everyone will go, ‘Oh well, that was a dud!,’ we’ll sack him (Joe Schmidt) and we’ll be back in the same position again.”

Stephen Larkham with the World Cup trophy.

Stephen Larkham is head coach of the ACT Brumbies. Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images

The New Zealand-born Schmidt was the mastermind behind Ireland’s ascendancy to the top of the rugby world guiding the nation to World No. 1 for the first time in 2019.

In his time with Ireland, Schmidt oversaw the nation’s most successful period, winning three Six Nations titles in 2014, 2015 and a Grand Slam in 2018, its first win against South Africa in South Africa, first win over New Zealand and a series win over Australia.

Schmidt walked away from the Ireland role after the 2019 World Cup in order to spend more time with family, particularly his son Luke, who battled a brain tumour at age five and has suffered severe epilepsy from the age of four.

But since moving back to New Zealand, the 53-year-old has been an All Blacks selector, filled in as coach when needed and has been the nation’s attack coach since 2022.

However, Schmidt has also only committed to an 18-month deal due to his son’s epilepsy.

“If we can get the job done over the next 18 months and we can get the momentum heading in the right direction, then I will feel like have done my part of it and I’ll be happy to hand on.”

Last month, long-serving World Rugby administrator Peter Horne was appointed as RA’s new director of high-performance, with David Nucifora returning home from his role as Ireland’s high-performance director to help.

Both men have strong relationships with 58-year-old Schmidt, who coached Ireland from 2013 to 2019 and was instrumental in helping them become the number-one ranked team in the world.

Schmidt is a great candidate. Photo by Ayush KUMAR / AFP

More recently, he worked with the All Blacks as an assistant coach at the last World Cup, where they finished runners-up to South Africa.

“It was a unanimous decision to appoint Joe — everyone on the panel was impressed by his demeanour, his calm and logical approach to the game, as well as his communication style,” Horne said in a statement.

“Throughout his career, Joe has demonstrated an ability to take a leadership role in structural reform while developing a strong culture and world-class players.

“From my personal experience working with Joe at World Rugby, he is an ideal fit for the Wallabies and Australian Rugby at this time, and I am looking forward to working closely with him on developing a stronger alignment with our Super Rugby clubs to maximise our performances.”

Australia have 18 months to prepare for the Lions tour and will host the men’s World Cup two years after that.

Wales are due to tour Australia in July and will be his first matches in charge.