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21st June 2018
10:42am BST
"It is understood that Rugby Australia has not drawn up a shortlist of possible replacements for Cheika but the clock is ticking on sounding out potential candidates and it would be sheer lunacy if Australia allowed him to leave these shores without checking out his availability. "The preference is to appoint an Australian coach, which would bring current assistant coach Steve Larkham strongly into the reckoning, while Melbourne coach Dave Wessels could come into consideration if he can finish the Super Rugby season strongly with the Rebels."Smith also said that Schmidt could be lined up by the RFU as a replacement for Eddie Jones should he part ways with the English national team. High hopes. Meanwhile IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora has said that him and Schmidt talk regularly about his future with the national team but that he must ultimately decide where he wants to be next year with his contract set to expire at the conclusion of next year's Rugby World Cup.
"It's a personal decision for Joe with what he wants to do," Nucifora told RTÉ Sport's Michael Corcoran in Sydney. "We maintained his services last time to bring him through to this World Cup. He's been in this part of the world a long time and he's got some choices to make. "We would definitely like him to stay. We've been able to put in place a world class coaching team around Joe until the end of the 2020 season. If Joe decides to moves at least we are in a position to ensure that continuity would be maintained with the other coaches that are involved. "There is talent within that coaching group. Until we have a decision on what Joe decides to do, we are only on what could be and what might be."Nucifora added that a decision on Schmidt's future would be made at some point before the start of next year's Rugby World Cup.
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