IRFU contract will not allow Joe Schmidt to coach Lions in 2017

Joe Schmidt insists he is 100% focused on Ireland's upcoming Six Nations and the one after that. After that, who knows.

The Kiwi is contracted with Ireland until June 2017 so would be, just about, free to coach the British & Irish Lions as they seek to win a Test series against New Zealand. However, Lions officials are now insisting that coaches take a hiatus from their national team duties if they want the coveted position of leading the best the Home Nations have to offer. Warren Gatland handed over the reigns of the Welsh team to Rob Howley in 2012/13 and, were Schmidt to go for the top job, he would have to do likewise. Schmidt says it is not an option as his current IRFU contract does not include a release clause. "To be honest," he told us, "the terms of my current contract don't allow me to do the Lions, so it's actually a moot point. "It doesn't distract me because it isn't actually something I can unless the terms of my contract change. "I finish at that time and there's some outside influences on that that will probably dictate anything beyond that." Schmidt added, "I'm not planning for beyond where my contract finishes, and to be honest if you're a coach sometimes you don't even get to the finish of it because that's the harsh reality, it's a very success-driven environment."