The New Zealander, who had guided Leinster to back-to-back Heineken Cup titles in 2011 and 2012, signed a three-year contract as he succeeded Declan Kidney. Earlier in the month, Kidney had been relieved of his role after a poor Six Nations campaign, in which Ireland finished fifth – a worst championship performance since 1999. “When I came to Leinster in 2010 I didn’t really want to be a head coach, but I have really enjoyed the experience since,” Schmidt said. He remained in the job until the end of the 2019 World Cup campaign. The last match of Schmidt’s tenure was a 46-14 quarter-final defeat to New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Source: The Herald April 29, 2023 09:36 UTC