Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has claimed that his side's performances against South Africa have proven that Northern Hemisphere rugby nations are not far behind their Southern counterparts.
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has claimed that his side's performances against South Africa have proven that Northern Hemisphere rugby nations are not far behind their Southern counterparts.
After Ireland's 2-1 test series loss to South Africa was sealed with a 19-13 defeat in Port Elizabeth, Schmidt was asked what the difference between the Northern and Southern hemisphere nations were. Schmidt cheekily replied: "Six points."
The New Zealand-born coach then added: "There's no chasm there. [The gap is] not huge. What England managed to achieve in clean sweeping Australia was exceptional – and I don't think we did too badly either."
Ireland had been expected by many to struggle in South Africa after a disappointing third-place finish in this year's Six Nations. However, Schmidt's side upset the odds and won the first test in Cape Town 26-20 – their first away win against the Boks.
Eventually, the Springboks pulled rank – winning 32-26 in Johannesburg, before clinching the series at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
