Appointment will set up contest against Andy Farrell’s LionsNew Zealander led Ireland to 6N grand slam and world No 1 spot
Joe Schmidt is set to replace Eddie Jones as head coach of Australia with an official announcement expected in the coming days.
AAP reported in December that Schmidt was a front-runner for the role, given the New Zealander’s history working alongside Rugby Australia’s (RA) new head of high-performance , Peter Horne, at World Rugby.