Schmidt Out. The rumblings are there. It started with just some people on twitter or facebook, but now a print newspaper is joining the cause.
Ireland,you're always drunk. Go home. #SchmidtOut
— Dave O'F (@DaveOFlanagan) February 13, 2016
All this nonsense about the 6 day turn around. That's the competition. #6Nations #schmidtout
— Eamonn Finn (@spintokid) February 13, 2016
Roy Curtis thinks that Joe Schmidt has fallen short of the bar set by Declan Kidney. That's after two Six Nations titles in two years, which no other professional Irish coach has ever done.
But now that Ireland have drawn a game they could have lost, and lost one game (albeit badly), the notion that we should entertain the idea of replacing him is farcical. The Irish inclination to over-react to everything is well in force.
The argument that both Kidney and O'Sullivan were gone after underperforming at the World Cup is fair. To suggest that Schmidt should go too is wrong. O'Sullivan and Kidney didn't have players coming from provinces devoid of confidence from missing out on Heineken Cup quarter-finals. In fact, in both years an Irish province won the Heineken Cup after the previous two World Cups - in 2012 there were two provinces in the final.
Curtis has no idea why there is no desire to rid ourselves of Schmidt:
Despite a similar pattern of inexorable decline [to Kidney and O'Sullivan], there seems little appetite to suggest Schmidt has arrived at an identikit Ground Zero.
What's the point in getting rid of a coach at the first sign of trouble? Even with Ireland playing some limited rugby - Schmidt was getting the most out of his players. If ever there was a coach who can mix things up - it's Schmidt.
Am I defending the defeat? No. Am I defending the limited style of play and conservatism? No. I want to see Ireland play with freedom. Play what's in front of them, punishing team's weaknesses and knowing how to minimise strengths.
See Also: Joe Schmidt Hits Back At George Hook Over Claim Regarding Johnny Sexton
There is no better coach in the world for that then Joe Schmidt. That was the hallmark of Schmidt's Leinster's sides. It can be a hallmark of his Irish sides with a change in mentality.
Schmidt wasn't too conservative at Leinster. The IRFU prioritising the Six Nations, and the lack of exposure Schmidt has to his players sees to that. Schmidt is aware that settled teams play better and carry out his game-plan the way he wants it. But how will other players get a chance without playing?
Schmidt needs more space from the IRFU to experiment. Not whole scale changes, but building a team, a squad to go forward for the next few years. It's this time in the World Cup cycle for changes to happen. It's this time that any and all potential contenders for the World Cup squad should be tracked, monitored, and aware of what will be happening with the team over the next three years so that options can develop.
It might be too soon for Garry Ringrose now, but it won't be in 2019. Won't he be better in 2019 with three years experience of the system under his belt rather than one or two?
Because Ireland's production line has never had so many players. Ireland have so many more 8/10 players now than ever before, it's just the 10/10 O'Driscoll's and O'Connell's that we're missing.
We should be looking at the likes of Jack O'Donoghue, Stuart McCloskey, Ringrose, and Denis Buckley (amongst many many others) now so they can make an impact in the next three years. Not bringing O'Donoghue and Buckley into the squad whilst McCloskey makes his debut now is only delaying the process for 2019.
See Also: The Criticism Of Schmidt Shows That National Media Thinks There's Only Two Provinces In Ireland
See Also: British Journalist Claims The French Targeting Of Johnny Sexton Was 'A Disgrace'
Just to refresh your memory on Leinster's style under Schmidt
Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
