Schmidt shrugs off England talk

"I have been flattered by some misguided bookmakers, who have thrown me into the market. I haven't had any contact with them. I really enjoy what we are doing here. I am very Leinster focused," he said.

While Schmidt was quick to distance himself from the rumour mill that circulates around every top-class coach for what must rank as the most pressurised rugby job in Europe, he does have an opinion on who the next England coach should be.

"There is a lot of talk around international appointments. It is very often wide of the mark. I, personally, think that Jim Mallinder has done a great job. He would be an obvious choice for me," said Schmidt.

"I know Northampton had a bad time on Friday night. But, he has had good success with English Saxons. He has done his coaching apprenticeship and he was a good player in his time."

The easy-going New Zealander has made a habit of not looking too far around the next corner. He has a laissez-faire attitude to life based on simple principles.

"I wasn't even interested in being a head coach. It is pretty hard to look that far ahead. I've never really set a goal in my life. I just set values that you live by and work hard from there.

"I would say that sometimes, if you are a coach who sets goals, there is a danger you're putting those goals, first and foremost, in front of the team."

Schmidt is approaching the midway point of his three-year contract at Leinster. It is reasonable to suggest the province would like to tie him to a longer deal. But this is a man who doesn't look that far ahead.