Wallabies set to announce new coach after Eddie Jones disaster with former Ireland coach in the frame to takeover
- The Wallabies will appoint Joe Schmidt as their new coach
- They have found a replacement after Eddie Jones’ disastrous spell
- Schmidt will take charge of Ireland’s Andy Farrell next year
Rugby Australia’s search to replace Eddie Jones is ahead of schedule with former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt’s announcement looming.
In December it was reported that the New Zealander was a front-runner to win the gig given Schmidt’s history of working with Rugby Australia (RA) new high-performance boss Peter Horne at World Rugby.
New RA chief Phil Waugh had set March as the deadline for an announcement ahead of the Wallabies’ season-opening Test against Wales in July, and expressions of interest for the role only closed on Friday.
But multiple reports suggest Schmidt is all but locked in, with senior players informed of the appointment on Wednesday and an official announcement due in the coming days.
Joe Schmidt is appointed the new coach of the Wallabies
He replaces Eddie Jones after the coach’s disastrous spell last year
He is expected to become the third New Zealander, after Robbie Deans and Dave Rennie, to coach Australia. He is now in ninth place after failing to progress from the World Cup group stage for the first time last year.
Schmidt beat a field that included Ian Foster, whom he assisted as the All Blacks reached the World Cup final last year, as well as former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and homegrown talents Dan McKellar and Stephen Larkham.
He also worked closely with Australian David Nucifora, who will remain Ireland’s high-performance director until after the Paris Olympics but will return to RA in an advisory role.
Ireland won three Six Nations crowns and the 2018 grand slam and rose to No. 1 in the world in a seven-year spell under Schmidt.
He then joined World Rugby’s high-performance squad, before returning to coaching as Foster’s assistant, culminating in a one-point loss in the World Cup final.
New Japanese coach Jones signed a five-year Wallabies contract after Rennie’s shock axing, but he was gone within a year; the Wallabies won just two of nine tests in 2023.
Schmidt, a former school teacher, will have his work cut out for him when the British and Irish Lions, coached by former Irish mentor Andy Farrell, tour the country next year.