Leinster are replacing their Australian head coach Michael Cheika with a New Zealander for the next three years following the announcement that Josef Schmidt will take over the reins from next season.
The 44-year-old Schmidt is currently in his third season as Vern Cotter's assistant at ASM Clermont Auvergne and knows all about the demands of the Heineken Cup from his time in France.
Clermont may not have reached the top of the podium in the Heineken Cup, but Schmidt, a specialist backs coach, has helped to steer his side to three successive French Championship finals.
A former headmaster, Schmidt previously coached the Auckland Blues and Bay of Plenty. He was also assistant coach to the New Zealand Schools side for four seasons.
Ireland will be pretty familiar territory for Schmidt as he played at the Mullingar club in Leinster in the nineties.
