In many ways, it’s difficult to make comparisons between Eddie Jones and Joe Schmidt.
One is a flamboyant showman happiest in front of a bank of cameras, lobbing up one-liners, bold predictions and occasional blow-ups, all carefully designed for a target audience. The other is a taciturn Kiwi whose idea – before joining the Wallabies – of speaking to the media was some supplied quotes in a press release.
One is a supreme ruler as head coach, guided by gut-feel. The other makes decisions in congress with his assistant coaches, usually following the data.
But as the most recent coaches, both Jones and Schmidt have both had their hands on the Wallabies – and mostly the same player pool – and it’s here where comparisons can be made. Or start to be made, at least.
The Wallabies …