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"It's almost like he doesn't want to let the rawness in" - Ruaidhri O'Connor and Keith Wood's Schmidt book reaction

Earlier this week, ex-Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt joined Off The Ball to discuss his book. Giv...



Earlier this week, ex-Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt joined Off The Ball to discuss his book.

Given that its release has come shortly after the Rugby World Cup, the tome was always going to draw interest.

But what has ex-Ireland captain Keith Wood made of the Schmidt book and the reaction towards it?

He and the Irish Independent's Ruaidhri O'Connor joined us on Wednesday Night Rugby and both gave their takes on Ordinary Joe.

Keith hasn't read the book yet but intends to read it.

"I am interested in the coaching things and the things that made him tick," he told Joe Molloy.

"I think the fans will want to know a little bit of insight into him. And whether he doesn't get there or not, it doesn't give us the insight that maybe we'd like or were yearning after a World Cup.

"But I think for an insight into the man, you get a bit more of it. It also shows you the type of guys he is too. He's incredibly organised and controlled and he got his story out in exactly the manner he did, which may not be what a ghostwriter would do, maybe not what a publisher would necessarily want either. And that's fine.

"We're still looking for an insight into the World Cup because it has been very quiet since the World Cup. And so that's where we're hungry for that information."

"Very Soon After the Event"

Ruaidhri has written a review of the book and shared some of his critiques.

"It's the book Joe Schmidt wanted to put out there ultimately," he said.

"The book will live and die by what he was giving to it. I've got people coming back and saying, 'Your review was rubbish'.

"And I've got people coming back and saying, 'You're completely wrong and I loved the book'.

"Everyone's going to have their own take on it. But I think a lot of people could listen to what Keith said there, about giving something a bit of time and also giving it a couple of years and maybe it's very, very soon after the event.

"I think there's definitely a sense of that with the World Cup stuff, that it's very, very raw. And it's almost like he doesn't want to let the rawness in. So it's very much run-of-play. And also when do you get the time to put this all together?

"There were nuggets in there but I thought it could have given an awful lot more. I would've loved to have gotten more out of it. But it's his book, the one he wanted to put out."

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Book Ireland Joe Schmidt Keith Wood Off The Ball Ruaidhri O'connor Rugby