FORMER ENGLAND OUTHALF Stuart Barnes believes the Lions management missed two opportunities to get new Ireland coach Joe Schmidt involved on the upcoming tour to Australia.
Barnes feels a decision to appoint Schmidt’s fellow Kiwi, Warren Gatland [last September] was made too far in advance of this summer’s tour. Schmidt, said the outhalf turned Sky Sports pundit, would have brought an attacking dimension to the British and Irish Lions’ game that the Wallabies would have struggled with.
Barnes, who was in Dublin today to promote Sky Sports’ coverage of the Heineken and Amlin Cup finals, told TheScore.ie that, having overlooked Schmidt in favour of Gatland, Lions chiefs should have selected the New Zealander as backs coach. Wales’ caretaker coach Rob Howley, who led his countrymen to Six Nations success this year, has been tasked with getting the Lions backline into attacking shape Down Under. Barnes commented:
When I’m taking about Howley… I’m not knocking him. I think that Joe Schmidt is the most outstanding coach I’ve seen, in this hemisphere, in a long, long time. Leinster are a top team that play some beautiful, progressive rugby. Joe is the proof that you can play good rugby and win. It’s bullshit that you just have to bash people and bash people. Leinster played and passed their way past the best teams in European rugby in modern times.
“Joe had Clermont doing that too. Why was Brock James there? It’s not by accident. The forwards could pass too and a lot of it went through Aurelien Rougerie.”
Barnes added, “I said at the start of the season that he should have been the head coach. It’s nothing against Gatland but [naming his coach] was a very early call. Maybe with a bit of hindsight now, too, but I would stand by that call.”
Paul Wallace, Stuart Barnes and Scott Quinnell will be off to Australia for Sky Sport’s Lions coverage. (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)
Barnes believes that Leinster, a team he considers only second to Clermont in European rugby at present, should remain competitive despite the huge blows of losing Schmidt, Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa.
“It’s been a bit hard for them this year; with Sexton out we saw what happened to them,” he said.
[Recently signed outhalf] Jimmy Gopperth’s a good player but he’s no Jonny Sexton. Matt O’Connor is a good coach, but he’s not Joe Schmidt. They’ll be competitive because Leinster have grown this belief in Europe over the past five or six years. If they win the Amlin, the season will have been no disgrace. They went down to the best team in Europe with a few players missing.”
Barnes told TheScore.ie, “A lot of people, especially in England, could see them trying a new style and they thought they were going to fall away; that it wasn’t going to last. Maybe it’s because I’m from Bath, and the West Country. We want to see great players but we also want to see a winning culture.
“Leinster have that winning culture and so have Munster. That’s why Munster were in the semi-finals this year. It’s not about 1 to 15, personnel, it’s about something deeper. You’d like to think that the roots have laid down deep, as deep as they have with Munster.”
*Stuart Barnes was at the Aviva Stadium today ahead of The Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup finals, which will be live on Sky Sports HD and available on Sky Go, with the Heineken Cup final also in 3D.
And he’s our coach….with the next World Cup in England; well one can dream!
Somebody’s talking sense (for once)
Stuart Barnes knows his stuff, course he does. The people on here discrediting him could I please listen to your reasons for him not knowing what he is talking about. Should be very insightful indeed!
Stuart Barnes = George Hook
I agree Cathal, Stuart Barnes is one of the most insightful and entertaining rugby pundits on TV, the complete antithesis of the pompous bombast of George Hook. Barnsey, unlike most pundits from Britain, is very knowledgeable about the game in Ireland and always waxes lyrical about the heart of Munster and the style of Leinster.
As for Joe Schmidt, the Lions loss is Ireland’s gain. Who knows, maybe if he has a few successful years with the boys in green, he’ll be nominated to lead the Lions in four years against his native country.
No doubt. Schmidt is probably one of the best backs coach in the world. He did it at Clermont under Cotter and made the Leinster backs more dynamic He wasn’t expecting to be a head coach when he was asked to join Leinster. Ah tough luck Lions, you are not getting our secrets !!!!
Is Stuart Barnes capable of saying anything sensible? Not that I disagree but if he said it, it loses credibility.
I was thinking the same.
Schmidt was approached to be part of the tour but was unable to commit time to it so was overlooked and rob howley was a known quantity
Really?? Great coach and all but international management is a step up so they should be prioritised first for any lions position
Is that correct joe, please elaborate.
You are 100% right.
As good a coach as he is, he has earned a spot on the Lions coaching ticket.
Well he is pretty biased about england cocky about them like every englishman
That’s not a very intelligent comment. Both grammatically and factually. Aren’t you a fan of a certain English soccer team?
@Connor
‘Like every englishman’
Pretty biased opinions yourself. Stuart Barnes knows his stuff and is a big fan of Irish provincial rugby. If you care to actually listen to him or read his articles.
A lot of Leinster readers, so dats why the journal has blue and white
In fairness they just trying to pull numbers, for advert revenue.
If someone said dat about kidney when he got d national job with the same provincial success, he would have been laughed at. The fact he came from Leinster , he should be in the running for everything. Watch out Michael D
Get that chip off your shoulder. Kidney has been found out over the last few seasons.
Schmidt has proven himself as a top quality coach. That’s the difference – not any provincial bullsh** that you’re imagining.
How does Schmitt differ kidney entering the same job?
That sentence didn’t really make sense but if you’re asking how the two differ, there are many ways. Schmidt tends to have a “plan A” to start with, let alone a “plan b”.
You’d be rightly laughed at if you suggested Kidney for the lions job because he has proven to be very limited. Schmidt has proven to be very good. That’s the difference, not because he’s from Leinster.
A complete different style of management and totally different type of coach.
Kidney had the same success as Joe does now but kidney’s style and game plan didn’t evolve and we stalled as a team. Joe also likes to switch players in and out from time to time and picks certain players for different types of games. Look at redden and boss and then the backrow with sometimes going for a big back with McLaughlin or a quicker one with Jennings.
Never once suggested kidney for d lion job. They both entered d national job with equal success. Ok I’m a Munster man but in a few months i genuinely hope u can prove me wrong
BARNSEY!!!!! RUN RUN RUN. …. NO MORE BOSH! !!!!
Awww Christ, some of the comments turn my stomach.