Joe Schmidt will decide his long-term future with Ireland after this summer's tour of South Africa.
Schmidt's current contract with the IRFU runs up to the end of next season (2016-17), but he has to decided whether or not he'll continue until the World Cup in Japan in 2019.
The 50-year-old explained why he wants to make the decision a year before his contract is up.
“It’s really important that there is a clear pathway for players to know that there’s some continuity there or if that continuity is going to be with someone else. That there’s a span of enough time that they can get the game up and running as they see it best being played. I am conscious of my responsibility there.”
Ireland have had a poor Six Nations campaign this year, but under Schmidt they won the competition on the last two occasions.
The final game of the competition is against Scotland in Dublin this Saturday.
