Trevor Hogan: Schmidt's clinical approach gives Irish a fighting chance

Joe Schmidt is routinely referred to as the best coach in the northern hemisphere. A mixture of circumstances has now combined to present him with the single biggest challenge of his international career. A total of 17 internationals injured, along with the open wound left after Brian O'Driscoll's retirement, leaves him with a completely untried centre partnership of Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne facing into the first fixture of the season.