Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and then-New Zealand assistant coach Joe Schmidt before the 2023 World Cup quarter-final in Paris. It’s worth pointing out that the two groups of Ireland players involved in those matches are worlds apart. There’s a lovely symmetry about Farrell and Schmidt standing in opposite coaching boxes this week. Under Schmidt, Ireland learned the value of precision, of clarity in roles and execution. The challenge now is for Ireland to combine both – the detail of Schmidt with the resilience of Farrell.

Source: The Irish Times November 12, 2025 19:32 UTC