'He's a great coach. He lives and breathes the game. There's nothing he doesn't know' Brian O'Driscoll
'The best coach Irish rugby - arguably Irish sport - has ever had' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times
In the autumn of 2010, a little-known New Zealander called Joe Schmidt took over as head coach at Leinster. He had never been in charge of a professional team. After Leinster lost three of their first four games, a prominent Irish rugby pundit speculated that Schmidt had 'lost the dressing room'.