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Gatland has just offered Scotland players an olive branch ahead of 2021 Lions
Warren Gatland has offered Scotland players every incentive to challenge for 2021 Lions tour selection, the coach insisting that he is conscious of how the celebrated rugby tourists must have a fair representation from all four of the home unions.
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The New Zealander has been heavily criticised for how few Scots he has chosen when previously in charge of the Lions. RugbyPass last year posed the question of whether there was an anti-Scottish agenda festering among Lions hierarchy or was Gatland within his rights to ignore them, a debate that sparked a huge viral response.
Gatland picked just three Scotsmen for the 2013 journey to Australia and just three again for the 2017 tour of his native New Zealand four years later, a low selection that left him open to accusations of bias given he coached Wales between 2008 and 2019 and was previously coach of Ireland.
Already installed as Lions boss for a third successive tour, his fourth in all having worked as an assistant on the 2009 trip to South Africa, Gatland has admitted he would like a better selection balance across all four nations.
Speaking on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series, Gatland suggested that impressive away performances by Scotland players in the lead-up to next year tour will definitely catch his eye. “I’m really, really conscious and I understand it’s important that we have a representation of the four home nations. That is really, really important for me,” he said.
“I’m not sitting here and thinking about what do I have to do over the next few years to be the All Black coach. Definitely not”
– Lions boss Warren Gatland tells @jimhamilton4 on @RugbyPass how isn’t consumed by desire to take charge of New Zealand 🇳🇿https://t.co/bRfG6iF6xA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 17, 2020
“I know every nation is so parochial and it’s understandable there is disappointment and disagreement about selection – and I want to have a good representation of Scottish players. I desperately want that to happen and I hope it does happen.
“It is important that we do select players from every nation. The last thing you want to do is go on a Lions tour that has one or two nations, or no players from Scotland. Look, I know last time it created a certain amount of controversy and I have learnt a lot in the tours that I have been on – you reflect back and think what things you would do differently.
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“Look, I’m conscious and, as I said, I desperately want them to do well. When I look back at 2017 probably the hardest thing is when you are playing away from home you want players to be able to front up and win away from home.
“It becomes important, particularly on the Lions. You are playing against a southern hemisphere team away from home and probably the big game, I didn’t expect them [Scotland] to win but I wished they hadn’t shipped 50 points against England at Twickenham (in that year’s Six Nations). That was not a great performance for a number of individuals
“It’s great to see they started the (2020) Six Nations so well. I thought they played well the first few games and had a really important win against France. They would have gone to Cardiff with a lot of confidence.
“To win away from home and win in Cardiff, that would have been a significant result. The next twelve months as we get close to the Lions, I want all those teams to be able to perform well and make the selection for us difficult.
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“I’m really conscious about that and we need to make sure that we have a balance from the four home nations. That is important.”
"On balance, the two best Lions-eligible flyhalves in this year’s Six Nations were George Ford and Adam Hastings."
– @bensmithrugby looks at emerging options for the British & Irish Lions #LionsTour #Springboks https://t.co/WaC9MwV2G6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 14, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments