New Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has expressed his excitement at the challenge he faces after taking charge of the national side.

The New Zealander was named as the successor to Declan Kidney on Monday, having guided Leinster to back-to-back Heineken Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2012.

Ahead of the side's autumn internationals with Samoa, Australia and New Zealand, Schmidt admits that he is looking forward to the job at hand.

"I'm really motivated by challenge, I think this is a super challenge, albeit an intimidating one and I guess if you're going to really find out what you think you can bring to a group, what better way than try to take on one of the big jobs in world rugby," Schmidt told Sky Sports News.

"I've had a good look at a lot of Ireland's players and when we get our collective together, we'll try to improve performance and make us as competitive as possible."

Schmidt will start his tenure as the Ireland boss in July.