Schmidt paid tribute to another of his former Leinster and Ireland players, 37-year-old prop Cian Healy, who is set to overtake Brian O’Driscoll as Ireland’s record caps holder on Saturday by making his 134th international appearance after being named on the bench for the final game of the country’s autumn series.
“He is exceptional. A physical specimen. A bit like Andrew Porter is. Both those guys, you have to lock them out of the gym the best you can.
“[But] Cian is so agile and he was so dynamic when I first got to Leinster,” added the Wallabies as he recalled Healy being convinced he could finish off a backs move in the 2012 Heineken Cup semi-final against Clermont-Auvergne in 2012.
“The pass from Richardt Strauss was going into Rob Kearney and there’s Cian on his shoulder trying to overtake him. He’s that sort of athlete.
“And he was lethal close to the line. The opposition couldn’t stop him and we couldn’t get the ball off him.”
If Healy does get on the field, he is likely to find himself in opposition his fellow loose-head prop James Slipper who became the Wallabies’ record cap holder in September when he made his 140th appearance.
“Maybe there’s something to be said about loose-head props. They know how to get that longevity. With Slips playing at the weekend and Cian Healy, I’m pretty sure that we’ll catch up afterwards and those two will share a bit of hydration,” smiled the Australia coach.
