Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

English, Irish and Scottish fans in agreement on Gatland appointment

By Josh Raisey
Lions coach Warren Gatland

After Warren Gatland was announced as the head coach for the British and Irish Lions for the third successive time, English, Irish and Scottish fans think the upcoming series in South Africa in 2021 will be much like the last two.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fans from these three nations have taken to Twitter to show their slight disappointment in this decision, as it will most likely result in Gatland favouring Welsh players.

Over the past two tours to Australia and New Zealand, Gatland has usually turned to Welsh players when it has come down to tough decisions, as, ultimately, that is the team that he has coached for over a decade.

This was shown in the third test against Australia in 2013, where Gatland decided to field 10 Welshman, including dropping the legendary Brian O’Driscoll for Jonathan Davies. Then again, Wales had recently won the Six Nations, so there was a legitimate argument that they had the best players in the British Isles.

Continue reading below…

Video Spacer

Gatland has not been afraid in the past to show favour to his Welsh players, which is understandable as they are the ones he knows best and knows what they will deliver. On the other hand, Scottish fans feel that this basically means that there will be one token Scot on tour, Stuart Hogg.

Welsh fans have been quick to respond on social media saying that not only will Gatland no longer be in charge of Wales in 2021, but it is the logical choice based on his track record. A win in Australia in 2013 and a draw series with the All Blacks in 2017 speaks for itself, and given that Gatland leaves his post in charge of Wales at the end of the World Cup this year, and could possibly take over England, this favouritism that he has been accused of is less likely to happen.

Then again, English, Irish and Scottish fans are still not pleased. This is what they’ve said:
https://twitter.com/Gabriel19410758/status/1126762859508015106?s=20
https://twitter.com/PaulTuff/status/1126763436396797952?s=20
https://twitter.com/AdamChandler81/status/1126762304547086337?s=20
https://twitter.com/milesaffixxius/status/1126753005385031680?s=20
https://twitter.com/ade_white/status/1126756141118083073?s=20
https://twitter.com/Donhainsworth/status/1126756047262060545?s=20
https://twitter.com/michaeljstowe/status/1126758606643195904?s=20
https://twitter.com/Hearny15/status/1126753115657490437?s=20
https://twitter.com/onehappytim/status/1126764814481551361?s=20
https://twitter.com/DanFinnegan1/status/1126758477311823877?s=20
https://twitter.com/matt_kenneally0/status/1126790183557505024?s=20
https://twitter.com/stewart_taylor/status/1126819186142064640?s=20

ADVERTISEMENT

Gatland has always been the favourite to take this role, and after guiding Wales to a Grand Slam this year and to second place in the world rankings, it was definitely the straightforward choice.

Although his style of ‘Warren Ball’ has been criticised at times, his results speak for themselves, and he knows how to get the best of the players that he is in charge of.

While the English, Irish and Scottish fans may be complaining, they will not be if he comes back from South Africa with a series win.

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'It's an All Black discussion': The pair of young Hurricanes tipped for black jerseys The pair of young Hurricanes tipped for black jerseys
Search