But Madigan turned it on in the second half, scoring the home side's only try and adding 17 points with the boot, to lift Leinster to the summit of the table at the expense of their opponents on the night.
With Jonathan Sexton leaving the RDS at the end of the season, Schmidt knows Madigan has been under pressure but explained that he has simply asked the 23-year-old to focus on his own game.
Schmidt told The Score: "Ian is growing as a player all the time. He has an ability to change up and exploit gaps, particularly a soft shoulder on a forward if he sees an opportunity.
"I know Ian well, he knows me well. I would be inclined to take the [Sexton-related] pressure off him and say, play what you see in front of you, play your natural game.
"Otherwise, you get players trying to force things and that's not a good mental state to approach a game."