Joe Schmidt spent Christmas Day of 2010 home alone with a spiteful cold. Although his family had travelled back to New Zealand for the festive period, a Celtic League match against Ulster on December 27 meant Schmidt remained in Ireland without them.

Leinster’s head coach lay in front of the fire. He ate the lasagne that had been cooked and left behind by his wife Kellie. He attempted to sleep off his symptoms.

But, between naps, Schmidt made sure he was absolutely ready for his side’s next fixture by flicking through match footage.

In that first season at Leinster, Schmidt described himself as “a bit of a nerd” in interviews. He would supplement long training days with up to four evenings per week of extra note-taking and video analysis.

Over eight years later, his meticulous methods – and the intricate strike-moves he devises and choreographs so precisely – have been integral to Ireland’s rise. Schmidt clearly relishes the neuroses that his diligence stirs in rivals.

“I know one of the things Andy Farrell said when he came into our environment was that [England] were always on edge about what we might come up with,” he says.