Regarded as an outside bet to win the World Cup, last Saturday’s defeat to the hosts has seen Ireland’s odds lengthen.
But, ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Russia under the closed roof of the Misaki Stadium, Schmidt retains the belief that this side can break through the quarter-final glass ceiling.
Ireland would almost certainly face either New Zealand or South Africa in the last eight.
Schmidt said: “Before the tournament Japan worried me, probably more than Scotland in a lot of ways. We know Scotland inside out. We had only lost one of our last seven against Scotland.
“It’s a real advantage to have the host nation in the tournament because interest levels stay up.
“I’m still incredibly positive about this group. They are such a good group of young men that they are determined to make sure we get it right in these next two games.
“Beyond that, it doesn’t matter which team you play in the pool next door.
“It is probably the two form teams, maybe along with England, in the world at the moment and we’d like to think we can be in that mix.
“But we have to maintain our focus on what’s immediately in front of us with these next two games and then attempt to really reach that level in the quarter-final.”
Although Schmidt claimed he did not want to take anything away from Japan’s win, he was keen to point out that World Rugby acknowledged that three out of four penalties given against Ireland for offside were incorrect.
He added that the ‘feedback’ on the scrum penalty given against Ireland which, in hindsight, looked like a turning point, was ‘a tough call’.
But calling out referee Angus Gardner for his handling of Ireland’s defeat to Wales beforehand did not appear to work.
It remains to be seen if highlighting Jerome Garces’ role as assistant referee in two of the mistakenly-awarded penalties fares any better, with the Frenchman in charge tomorrow.
And Schmidt later said: “I don’t want to be overly critical of anyone because we’re all struggling a bit with the humidity and we’re all trying to make sure that the game is as open and fast and fair as it possibly can be.
“We’re just going to try to look after our department and be disciplined and be onside and, at the same time, bring some line speed.
“I’m certainly not saying we get it right every time but when we feel like we’re getting it right and we get pinged, you do lose a bit of confidence and it does take away the line speed and a team can get momentum against that.
“I think what we showed against Scotland is what we need. We got off the line, put them under a bit of pressure — I’d like to think that’s what we’d see on Thursday.”
That might be easier said than done given the conditions, although Schmidt expressed the hope that there would be water breaks midway through each half.
If not, Garces will more than likely have Johnny Sexton on his case as the out-half captains Ireland for the first time — something which, he suggested, was long overdue.
He said: “It’s something I don’t take lightly. It’s something that has taken a while to get asked to do and it felt very nice when Joe had a chat with me.”
Asked about what qualities made the 34-year-old — who has skippered Leinster — suitable for the role, Schmidt said: “His ability to control a game, to see a game a little bit ahead of where it’s happening, I think that’s a massive strength.
“He brings that without being captain but we want to have a really competitive and combative approach this week and Johnny is ideal to lead that.
“Sometimes I watch him and he’s getting stuck into counter-rucks and I’m saying, ‘Just get the hell out of there and leave some of the big boys do that’. He’s no shrinking violet.”
Cover at out-half will be provided by Jack Carty, with Joey Carbery earmarked for scrum-half if Luke McGrath needs to come off.
It would not be the first time someone has had to play out of position in Japan with Niall Scannell, who starts at hooker, admitting a Munster team-mate was straight on to him after he came on in the back row against Scotland.
Scannell revealed: “I got a text off Tommy O’Donnell, who was my room-mate at Carton House, saying, after all we’ve been through, I come on at No 7 and he was left at home.
“I don’t know how well I did. It’s not something I’d be looking to do again if I can avoid it.”
In midfield, Garry Ringrose plays his seventh game in 54 days, with Chris Farrell ruled out through concussion and Robbie Henshaw not being risked after a hamstring strain.
Henshaw will have missed the first three pool games but Schmidt stood by his decision to keep him in the squad.
He said: “To have Robbie available for Samoa, then potentially a quarter-final against the All Blacks, South Africa or Italy . . . Robbie is a big player for us.
“He’s got good World Cup experience, was phenomenal in the French game last time when we did qualify from our pool to go on to a quarter-final. For all those reasons, we kept Robbie here.”
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