What happens to Wallabies if crack coach Joe Schmidt walks away
The Christmas wish list at Rugby Australia is a pretty simple one.
Keeping Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach beyond next year's British and Irish Lions tour is clearly chief executive Phil Waugh's top priority as crunch conversations loom within the next fortnight.
Schmidt is spending this week in old stomping ground Ireland with family and friends before returning to Sydney to sort out his future.
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Joe Schmidt of Australia shouts instructions during the warm up in Cardiff. Getty
The 59-year-old New Zealander comes off contract with RA after the third Test against the Lions in August.
Schmidt, who posted a respectable 6-7 win loss record from the Eddie Jones rubble, told the Sydney Morning Herald that he would make a decision "before we get too far into December."
Schmidt said he would talk to wife Kelly and son Luke - who has severe epilepsy - before making the call.
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Australia coach Joe Schmidt before the Autumn Nations Series match. Getty
He has spent time at home in Taupo for family reasons this year while juggling his coaching commitments.
"I'm always a big fan of stability, especially when it's built around a quality coach and person like Joe Schmidt," Morgan Turinui told 4BC's Wide World of Sports.
"But coming off the fact that we've had so much instability over the last few years, he's even more important. He's doing a good job.
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"It's very clear what his plan is that he's sticking to and it's working and we need a period of stability. So more than just to the next World Cup (in 2027), I'd be locking him up as long as I could."
While everyone at RA is crossing fingers and toes, contingency plans will need to be hatched.
"I don't think Laurie Fisher wants to be a head coach," Turinui said.
"I think he's worked out that he's an absolutely outstanding assistant coach. The people with designs on the job would be Stephen Larkham (ACT Brumbies) and Dan McKellar, of course, who was a Wallabies assistant (under Dave Rennie).
"Went to Leicester, will now be in charge of a Waratahs team with a good looking squad. Now if he has a good season, he comes back into reckoning and Les Kiss in Queensland did a great job with the Reds in year one.
"If they improve, as I expect them to again next year, I think his name will get thrown up. Then the outside one, who has that experience, would be a return of a Michael Cheika (Leicester Tigers) who has high quality international experience.
Michael Cheika of Leicester Tigers. Getty
"They're probably the group that Australia would look at, especially if you could keep a Joe Schmidt as an advisor."
The Wallabies went 2-2 on their Spring Tour, with eye-catching wins over England and Wales followed by losses to Scotland and Ireland.
The defeat at Murrayfield was the low point of the tour but then pushing world No.2 Ireland all the way in a 22-19 loss restored faith among the fans.
"It's the best performance on tour, that's for sure, even though they don't get the win,' Turinui said.
"And it means that Wallabies fans can be confident heading into next year, that the bare bones, the important positions, have some key players that I think Joe Schmidt has been convinced by.
"He can pick and stick and defensively, it's one of the best Wallabies performances I've seen in a long time which bodes well for every match they play in the future. The polish is now what's needed."
