New Zealander has turned around the fortunes of many rugby teams but his task with the Wallabies look monumental
Joe Schmidt has turned around the fortunes of many rugby teams but his task with Australia looks the most challenging of his career in coaching. Photograph: Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Imagescaptain Allan Alaalatoa. As is often the case, the first question was an underhand serve just to get the ball over the net. Schmidt’s answer lasted a minute and 39 seconds.
Eighteen months out from a Lions tour, as it was then, and less than four years from a home World Cup, the challenges were obvious and overbearing. In every respect – player pathways, public support, funding – Australian rugby was a shambles. The team was a rabble.Schmidt achieved so much success with Ireland, though, that it is easy to forget the mess he inherited here too.
Joe Schmidt during the team photograph ahead of Australia's Rugby Championship game against South Africa at Optus Stadium in Perth. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images In his last five coaching roles – with Clermont Auvergne, Leinster, Ireland, Blues and New Zealand – Schmidt knew that material existed to create success. In Australia, clearly, the opposite is true. With great coaches you always wonder where the tipping points are. What portion of a team’s success can be attributed to them; what portion is attributable to the players in their dressingroom?
Carlo Ancelotti’s strange interlude with Everton in an interesting test case too. He arrived midway through the 2019-20 season and left at the end of the following season. At one point in his second campaign Everton were fourth in the table, but they finished in 10th, having ended the previous season in 12th.
But Everton showed another side to his talent. Ancelotti’s special power is managing dressingrooms full of great players and outsized egos. At Everton, he didn’t face that challenge.
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