Exacting Ireland boss Joe Schmidt 's almost constant battle is to keep his devilish detail under wraps, to protect his coaching formula from prying eyes. Joe Schmidt keeps the inner workings of the Irish team under wraps but he let one thing slip yesterdayBut every now and then he lets his avuncular demeanour slip, just slightly, to offer a more revealing portrait of a smiling mastermind at work. Former schoolteacher Schmidt's shtick for fending off enquiries into Ireland's inner workings starts with a smile, then quickly spreads to misdirection. Just another impressively efficient tactic from a taskmaster coach who has built this Grand Slam-winning Ireland team entirely in his image. Only in the wake of a Grand Slam triumph would Schmidt have lifted the lid, just a crack, on his coaching mindset.

Source: Irish Independent March 18, 2018 13:18 UTC