Former Ireland manager Joe Schmidt was inducted into the All Black Selection Committee on Tuesday, but will not take his place until the end of next year’s Irish tour of New Zealand. All Black coach Ian Foster has welcomed the replacement of Grant Foxes, the former Clermont, Leinster coach, with a different perspective he brings to the Neo Group from the Northern Hemisphere.

“You can easily see the success he has achieved, and what I like is that he probably sees the game a little differently from me, and it’s good to bring a new perspective,” Foster responded. Schmidt, 56, has left his position as director of rugby and one of the top performers in world rugby to spend more time with his family.

“Because I’m a bit of a geek at analyzing the players and the way they play,” he said. Schmidt is well-respected in New Zealand rugby circles, and in 2017 approached him to become All-Black’s assistant coach, but chose to stay with Ireland. In addition to his role in the selection, Schmidt will also serve as assistant coach for the Auckland Blues.