After a handy start in his first games as Australia head coach, it's safe to say things have taken a decidedly trickier turn for Joe Schmidt of late.
The former Ireland head coach took over the Wallabies off the back of their worst-ever World Cup performance, with morale at an all-time low.
Schmidt is under no illusions as to the size of the task at hand but the sheer scale of repair work required in Australian rugby has perhaps been laid bare by their opening to the Rugby Championship.
The opening week of action saw them fall to a humbling 33-7 defeat to South Africa on home soil in Brisbane, before losing to the same opposition 30-12 in Perth just a week later. The Boks' status as world champions may explain the margin of victory but their ability to triumph by 28 points while making wholesale changes to their starting XV will be a concern to Schmidt.
A revolution is needed at the top for the Wallabies, and Aussie legend Tim Horan believes Schmidt should pounce on the chaos in the New Zealand camp to up the level of his Australia team.
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Wallabies legend Tim Horan urges Joe Schmidt to pounce for departing All Blacks coach
14 October 2023; New Zealand assistant coach Joe Schmidt, left, and Ireland head coach Andy Farrell before the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The sudden departure of New Zealand assistant coach Leon MacDonald was announced on Thursday. MacDonald confirmed that he and head coach Scott 'Razor' Robertson had had a difference in opinion and had come to a mutual understanding that they should no longer work together.
Though it was known that there had been tension between the coaches, it is still a major shake-up to occur midway through the Rugby Championship.
It is a situation that two-time World Cup winner Tim Horan is keen to see Joe Schmidt capitalise on.
Former Wallaby Horan told the Sydney Morning Herald that Schmidt should look at bringing MacDonald in to the Aussie camp, especially given their past history of working together.
It’s worth a phone call. If you are Joe Schmidt and you have been coaching colleagues in the past, it has got to be worth a phone call.
Even if it is not a full-time coaching opportunity, it could be a ‘come over, have a look, tell us what you see and what you think’. Leon may not be looking for another job but he knows Joe well.
MacDonald has been part of the All Blacks coaching team since April of 2023, meaning he worked alongside Schmidt for the side's run to the World Cup final in France last year.
The pair also worked together when Schmidt was an assistant coach with the Blues under MacDonald's tenure between 2022 and 2023.
Though it is an intriguing proposition, Horan did admit that it may be too close to MacDonald's departure for him to consider jumping ship to the Australian side.
The big challenge would be, given how much IP he has about the All Blacks, how much would he be prepared to give to the Wallabies.
Given it is not long either since Joe Schmidt was involved in the All Blacks setup, it would certainly be a cheeky move.
Schmidt will need all the help he can get if he is to turn Australia into a competitive outfit before they face New Zealand in the final two rounds of the Rugby Championship next month.
In the meantime, they have two away days in Argentina to contend with, with the first of those taking place this Saturday. Kick-off is at 11pm Irish time.
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