MCCAW: JOE HAS IT ALL
By DAIRE WALSH
NEW ZEALAND rugby legend Richie McCaw yesterday tipped Joe Schmidt as a potential coach of the All Blacks.
Current boss Steve Hansen is expected to step down after next year’s Lions Tour of New Zealand.
Ireland head coach Schmidt almost masterminded a win over the All Blacks in Dublin in 2013.
But his side lost 24-22. Speaking at AIG’s Dublin office, McCaw said: “We all watch with an interest in all the teams that have Kiwis involved with- certainly Joe, with his record.
“I know the guys who have experienced his coaching always talked pretty highly of him.
“We nearly suffered from that in 2013, so it doesn’t go unnoticed and down the track a guy like that could come back and coach maybe the All Blacks one day. He’s the type of guy who’d be great.”
McCaw retired from professional rugby in the aftermath of New Zealand’s successful defence of the Webb Ellis Cup last October.
Ireland face the All Blacks on November 5 in Chicago and at the Aviva a fortnight later.
McCaw said: “It is up to the players how they look at it because the gap across the top half-dozen teams in the world, there ain’t much between them.