It's time for Wales to repay Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland cut a relaxed, confident figure this week as he prepared for his final Six Nations as Wales head coach.
Gatland, who will leave his post following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, appears totally at ease with the task facing him in his last nine months in Wales.
He even found time to have dinner with England rival Eddie Jones when he travelled to London for Wednesday’s Six Nations launch, describing his relationship with his fellow international coaches as good. “There is no animosity there,” he said.
It is all something of a contrast to his first appearance at the tournament’s annual grand unveiling, in 2008, when the newly installed Wales coach took aim at the Rugby Football Union for its handling of Brian Ashton’s contract and allowing Shaun Edwards to join him at The Vale.
Back then Gatland was the young upstart with a point to prove. When he accepted the Welsh Rugby Union’s offer a few months previously, he was searching for the loyalty he felt was absent in Ireland and Waikato.
Having arrived with the Wales national team at its lowest ebb, the hurt of a pool-stage exit from the 2007 World Cup still raw, he restored the national team’s reputation almost immediately.
In Gatland’s first game in charge, England were beaten at Twickenham for the first time in two decades as the charge towards a Grand Slam started in fine style.
Another clean sweep would follow in 2012 before that electric March night in 2013 on which Wales smashed England 30-3 inside the Principality Stadium to snatch the championship from under the noses of their great rivals.
Gatland was not in the Wales dugout for the latter triumph, during his sabbatical with the British and Irish Lions, but it was undoubtedly his team and a victory earned in his image.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the World Cup, Gatland will leave his post as a legend of Welsh rugby and quite possibly the greatest Wales coach of all time.
Yet there is a feeling that the best could still be to come.
Now the elder statesman of Six Nations coaches, Gatland has found the loyalty he craved when he arrived in Cardiff 11 years ago. And it is telling that three of his most trusted lieutenants – Edwards, Rob Howley and captain Alun Wyn Jones – remain from that opening win at Twickenham.
It is clear that Gatland is quietly confident that a fourth Six Nations championship of his tenure could be secured by March 16, and he has good reason to be.
Wales currently sit third in World Rugby’s rankings, are on the longest winning run of the New Zealander’s reign and find themselves just two wins shy of the country’s all-time longest streak.
Gatland’s side travel to Paris on Friday having lost just once in their previous seven meetings with Les Bleus, and that a farcical denouement featuring reset scrum after reset scrum that the men in red led until the 99th minute.
That Wales face both Ireland and England – the two pre-tournament favourites – at home in Cardiff only adds to the feeling that Gatland is set for a glorious goodbye to Northern Hemisphere rugby’s showpiece event.
But despite his calm demeanour, Gatland’s championship preparation has not been without its setbacks.
Taulupe Faletau broke his arm playing for Bath just days before the Six Nations squad was announced, while Leigh Halfpenny was included but will not play any part in the first two matches – at least – as he continues to battle concussion symptoms.
Of the 39 players selected by Gatland for the championship, only 27 were able to train when the squad met up at their training base at The Vale last Monday.
Centre Scott Williams looks set to miss the trip to Paris, but much of Gatland’s concern is focused on the second-row where Adam Beard – a star in the autumn – is suffering from a concussion and Cory Hill has had an injection in a shoulder injury.
Experienced Scarlets lock Jake Ball was back in PRO14 action for his region on Friday but the situation was grave enough for Gatland to joke to Jones on Wednesday: “Don’t get injured, whatever you do”.
Wales also have problems in the back three – where Liam Williams is nursing a broken finger and Josh Adams a hamstring injury – and back-row, where Ross Moriarty is another recovering from a concussion.
But the squad depth that Gatland has worked so hard to nurture since the last World Cup means that they are still well stocked in each position. Hallam Amos, Steff Evans and Jonah Holmes are ready to step into the back-three, while the loss of Faletau, Ellis Jenkins, James Davies and potentially Moriarty is offset by the form of Aaron Wainwright, Josh Navidi and Thomas Young.
Captain Jones revealed this week that the squad would not be “overly sentimental” when the time comes to say goodbye to Gatland. There might not be any tea or cake but the players would love to send the Kiwi coach on his way with some more silverware.
Jones said: “We want to win the Six Nations and the biggest compliment you can pay Warren is you want to play for your coach.”
It would take a Welshman with a heart of granite to suggest that Gatland did not deserve it.
Comments on RugbyPass
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments