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Joe Schmidt hits back at Agustin Pichot in row over Devin Toner's RWC omission
By Online Editors
Joe Schmidt has offered a withering dismissal of Agustin Pichot's criticism of Ireland selecting Jean Kleyn ahead of Devin Toner. World Rugby vice chairman Pichot claimed Toner should be asking the game's governing body - and his own organisation - "for answers" after his omission from Ireland's 31-man World Cup squad on Monday.
South Africa-born Kleyn only qualified for Ireland on residency two days before his Test debut, in the 29-10 victory over Italy in Dublin on August 10. Pichot hit out at Ireland selecting a naturalised player over a homegrown talent, but Schmidt has now snapped back to swipe that critique aside.
Referencing Pichot questioning Wales' recent rise to world No1, Schmidt said: "Gus Pichot had a big opinion about who should be world number one as well. He has a number of big opinions, but they are not ones that are relevant for us. “Talking to Warren (Gatland) last week, they weren't relevant to him either. What is relevant is that under the laws of the game, as they were, we are entitled to pick guys who have qualified.
"Considering he is involved in World Rugby, he could have a look at what the rules were and not have so many things to say because for us it is tough enough to do our job and tough enough for me to have a conversation as I did with Devin.
"With Ireland, the qualification involvement is I don't know probably six or seven per cent. The rest are homegrown guys who are not only homegrown but who are domiciled here apart from two years when Johnny (Sexton) was used from Paris. If there was any question about the number of Irish people involved then I would be surprised when you match up those numbers."
The former New Zealand schoolteacher has become an Irish citizen in his time coaching first Leinster and now Ireland. The 53-year-old will return home after the World Cup, stepping down after six years at the Irish helm. Schmidt was moved to defend his naturalised Ireland players in the wake of criticism of Kleyn however, insisting anyone winning Test caps for his side has proved their commitment to both cause and country.
"I'm not sure I'm the most qualified to comment as I am a blow-in myself and I'll be blowing out soon enough so Gus Pichot has changed the rules and those rules will apply beyond this World Cup and they will apply as long as people feel that is the right residency rule," said Schmidt.
"I would question how much CJ Stander has committed to his local environment, what Bundee Aki has done for his local environment, that they are domiciled here in Ireland and have been for a number of years. They have contributed to their community and I'm not sure how long you have to contribute to a community and work hard in that community before you can be accepted by those people.
"I was put under a lot of pressure when Bundee played his first game. A lot of people wrote things but by the end of that first season he had played for Ireland he was named as supporters' player of the year. Now, I think that the majority - and maybe it is a silent majority - will fully get behind this squad and be fully supportive in the hope that we can do as well as we can in Japan."
- Press Association
WATCH: Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones speaks to the media as their squad continue their preparations for the World Cup with a match agians Ireland in Dublin
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Latest Comments
Yeah nar I pretty much agree with that sentiment, wasn't just about the lineout though.
Yeah, I think it's the future of SR, even TRC. Graham above just now posting about how good a night it was with a dbl header of ENGvSA and NZvFrance, and now I don't want to kick SA or Argentina out of TRC but it would be great if in this next of the woods 2 more top teams could come in to create more of these sort of nights (for rugby's appeal). Often Arg and SA and both travel here and you get those games but more often doesn't work out right.
Obviously a long way off but USA and Japan are the obvious two. First thing we need to do is get Eddie Jones kicked out of Japan so they can start improving again and then get a couple of US teams in SRP (even if one its just a US based and augmented Jaguares).
It will start off the whole conferences are crap debate again (which I will continue to argue vehemently against), but imagine a 6 team Pacific conference, Tokyo Sunwolves (drafted from Tokyo JRLO teams), Tokyo All Stars (made up of best remaining foreign players and overseas drafts), ALL Nihon (best of local non Tokyo based talent, inc China/Korea etc, with mainland Japan), a could of West Coast american franchises and perhaps a second self PI driven Hawai'i based team, or Jagaures. So I see a short NFL like 3 or 4 month comp as fitting best, maybe not even a full round, NZvAUSvPAC, all games taking place within a 6hr window. Model for NZ will definitely still require a competitive and funded NPC!
On the Crusaders, I liked last years ending with Grace on the bench (ovbiously form dependent but thats how it ended) and Lio-Willie at 8. I could have Blackadder trying to be a 7 but think balance will be used with him at 6 and Kellow as 7. Scott Barrett is an international 6 sized player. It is just NZ style/model that pushes him into the tight, I reckon he'd be a great loose player, and saders have Strange and Cahill as bigger players (plus that change could draw someone like Darry back). Same with Haig now, hes not grown yet but Barrett hight and been playing 6, now that the Highlanders have only chosen two locks he'll be playing lock, and that is going to change his growth trajectory massively, rather than seeing him grow like an International 6.
Go to commentsDan Carter is the leading points scorer and leading points per game person for a player with significant tests. 2s RWC winner and member of the games greatest ever team. It's not even close. The only question of GOAT for rugby is whether McCaw deserves it given Carter's numbers.
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