New coach Joe Schmidt was the Christmas miracle Rugby Australia needed

“When everyone else was on Christmas holidays, we were working hard.” How Rugby Australia landed their new man and why he was exactly what was needed after the Eddie Jones era.

Joe Schmidt’s recruitment began before new year for Rugby Australia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images for ARU

PHIL Waugh had experienced choppy waters before, but nothing like this.

Australian rugby was in disarray, with Eddie Jones promising a “hit and run” mission at the World Cup that ultimately saw them crash and burn in the pool stages.

On October 31, Jones announced his resignation, with Rugby Australia confirming he’d leave the role on November 25.

On December 13, Jones was announced as head coach of Japan.

Waugh, the RA chief executive who had been assured by Jones during those tenuous few months he had not been chasing a job with Japan, now had to find a new Wallabies coach 18 months out from the British & Irish Lions tour.

“We worked pretty hard over the Christmas period to run that process, it’s a bit like the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, you win the race when everyone else is sleeping,” said Waugh, who has completed the race a number of times and won it in 2011 and 2016.

Eddie Jones left Rugby Australia in a spot of bother and Christmas became a time for work. Picture: Toru Hanai/Getty Images

“When everyone else was on Christmas holidays, we were working hard.”

The key was RA’s newly appointed director of high performance, Peter Horne, who had previously worked with Joe Schmidt and watched the shrewd Kiwi take Ireland to No. 1 in the world.

Schmidt, who had just helped New Zealand to the World Cup final where they lost by one point to South Africa, was mentally sailing into an early retirement when Horne’s number popped up on his phone, and the offer was made to save Australian rugby.

Waugh said: “We did a very thorough assessment of who was out there, and we’re very pleased that Joe has chosen to come on board for what is a really important period for Australian rugby.

“It’s been a privilege dealing with Joe, he’s clearly a very successful and experienced international coach, with that comes an aura and a level of confidence that is infectious on the group and the organisation.

“And he’s a good man.”

Schmidt was formally unveiled as the new Wallabies coach on January 19.

Joe Schmidt (C) is unveiled as the Wallabies’ new coach in January. Picture: Ayush Kumar / AFP

After the tsunami of Jones, Schmidt offers calm waters.

If there was only one international rugby coach to give the nuclear codes, you’d trust Joe Cool.

His measured personality is reflected in the first team he has chosen for Saturday’s match against Wales at Allianz Stadium, featuring seven debutants and 23 worker bees.

“I’ve been impressed with a number of players who are able just to stay focused on what needs to be done, rather than getting ruffled or distracted by things that they can’t really control anyway,” Schmidt said.

“They can only influence what’s immediately in front of them.”

Perhaps the most insightful selection is that of 30-year-old halfback Jake Gordon, who starts ahead of Tate McDermott and Nic White, having been ignored by Jones for the World Cup squad.

“Jake, he’s probably just had the sharpest of the pass of the three guys so far,” Schmidt said.

The calmer approach of Schmidt has seen the more experienced Jake Gordon selected at scrum half. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

At Ireland, Jamison Gibson-Park’s precision passing at speed from the base of the ruck allowed them to recycle wave after wave of attack without interference from blindside ruck defenders.

New Zealand’s stunning surge to the World Cup final, with Schmidt in an advisory role, was orchestrated by Aaron Smith’s whip-like off the grass passing, hardly allowing defences to set.

The All Blacks’ quarter-final win over Ireland came just a year after a Schmidt-led Ireland defeated them in a series in New Zealand for the first time in history.

Schmidt’s methodical approach to the game means that at training, as players walk through attacking plays and either a support player, or next in rotation pass option isn’t standing on exactly the right spot, the move will be practised again. And again. Ten times over, so players have no uncertainty about their role under pressure.

Schmidt scoped the weather forecast before settling on Gordon as his No.9.

“He’s got that really nice long kicking game, high kicking game, and those are elements that I think we can make use of, particularly, we looked earlier in the week – you can’t tell Sydney weather – we had a look and it looked like it was going be rain,” Schmidt said.

“Now it’s saying sunny, so it’s probably going to be rain.

“So things fluctuate a lot, what we don’t want to fluctuate is whatever does turn up, we turn up with the right sort of armoury.

“And we just felt Jake had the right sort of armoury for us to kick the first Test off with.”

Long-suffering Wallabies fans yearn for the days of global domination, when John Eales was hoisting trophies or Michael Lynagh was slotting matchwinning kicks.

Schmidt has offered a window to that past by selecting Lynagh’s son, Tom, for his Test debut off the bench this week.

Michael Lynagh in his pomp. Picture: AFP Photo / Gabriel Bouys

Tom Lynagh following in Dad’s footsteps. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images for ARU

“Tom is a cool customer, you talk to him, he just doesn’t get ruffled – I’ve tried to ruffle him to be fair and put him under a little bit of pressure but he just doesn’t get ruffled,” Schmidt said.

“I love that, and I think the players around him love it, because what you want is that calm. In that real hub pivot position, you want someone who is not going to be ruffled, who is going to stay nice and clear in their thinking and their delivery, whatever they’re required to do on either side of the ball.

“I’ve spoken about his courage before, I don’t have any doubts about him stepping up there.

“They will bring a big, direct midfield carry at us. They’ll get [No. 8] Aaron Wainwright running off things and running down channels, and Tom is the sort of guy, he won’t say anything, he’ll just get on and do it, and if that’s his tackle, he’ll make that tackle.”

Fullback Tom Wright, another player ignored by Jones for the fateful World Cup campaign, is already talking like his new coach.

“The opportunity in Sydney to turn the tide – Rugby World Cup was disappointing – but [one] game at a time,” Wright said.

“This is a three-Test series in July. Win this one, win the next one, win the one after that. But no point looking at the next two.”

Originally published as New coach Joe Schmidt was the Christmas miracle Rugby Australia needed