Dan Carter says Joe Schmidt’s exploits with Ireland have been noticed

Dan Carter has said that Joe Schmidt’s work with Ireland has caught the eye of many people back in his native New Zealand.

Schmidt who also hails from New Zealand took over from former Munster coach Declan Kidney in 2013 after a hugely successful three year role with Leinster.

Since then he has led Ireland to two Six Nations titles and historic victories against South Africa and mot recently the All Blacks, and has found himself persistently being linked with the top job in his native country.

Carter stopped short of saying Schmidt should be his country’s next head coach, but admitted his good work is not going unnoticed at home.

Speaking to RTE 2fm’s Game On Carter said on Schmidt that

“He’s doing all the right things,”.

“Once you’re on the international stage you become a lot more aware of what (coaches) are able to achieve.”

“Obviously there’s still a few more years for Steve Hansen to continue coaching. He’s got a great coaching team to with Mike Cron and Ian Foster – I’m sure they’d be pretty keen to be head coaches as well at some stage’.

“Once you’re on the international stage you become a lot more aware of what (coaches) are able to achieve’.

“When you’re winning Six Nations, you’re beating the All Blacks, you’re making a stand for yourself… that’s when you start getting recognised a lot more back home because we can be so fixated on just the southern hemisphere.”

Ireland bet New Zealand for the first time in 111 years last November in a famous victory for Schmidt.

The Racing 92 fly-half who retired from international rugby after winning the 2015 World Cup, couldn’t say anything bar piling praise on a famous Irish performance. He also spoke about the pressure that came with pulling on the iconic black jersey.

He said

“It was a fantastic game and Ireland fully deserved to win that game,”.

“They put us under pressure and were just too good. You saw how much it meant to them. That was great for world rugby because the All Blacks had been so dominant up to then’.

“It was a fantastic win for Ireland’.

“There’s huge pressure, huge expectation and just the history that goes with the All Blacks… it’s every boy’s dream to grow up and play for the All Blacks so when that becomes a reality… it basically becomes your duty to add to the legacy that comes before you.

“There are never any easy games for the All Blacks. Always the opposition is doing everything they can to beat us.”

Carter himself carved out an an extraordinary career with his country.

His showing in the second Test against the Lions back in 2005 is widely regarded as one of the most complete, devastatingly effective performances ever seen. He scored 33 points that day, a masterclass, he was the ideal Number 10.

Reflecting on that famous 48-18 win, he said “You’re always striving to have the perfect performance. I don’t think you’ll ever get the perfect performance, but that game was close.

“Everything seemed to go really well: scoring tries, kicking goals, setting tries up. I didn’t realise how much of an impact that game would have on my career and how important that game was until it was finished. It’s a game I’ll always remember.

“I felt like I left the jersey in a better place than when I got it in my first game in 2003.

“For me it was almost at the start of my Test career, and I guess putting my name into being known on the world stage. I’ve some amazing memories from 2005.

“I always remain so grateful and humble. Everything that comes with life these days, it’s all because of rugby. Hopefully one day I get an opportunity to be able to give back.”