Lions fans concerned about Gatland's new Chiefs role
Fans in the northern hemisphere have questioned the logistics of Warren Gatland’s new job after it was announced he will become the Chiefs’ new head coach from 2020,
Set to step down from his Wales role after the 2019 World Cup after 11 years in charge, the Kiwi has already been confirmed to lead the British and Irish Lions for the third time in South Africa in 2021. This means he will take a year out from coaching in Super Rugby and return in 2022.
However, questions have been asked as to how Gatland can remain committed to the Lions’ cause when he has nothing to do with northern hemisphere rugby.
Some fans have been quick to cite Gatland’s comments relating to Vern Cotter being part of his 2017 coaching team. Because Cotter moved to France with Montpellier, Gatland ruled him out, suggesting a coach should be based in the UK or Ireland.
Being the complete opposite side of the world has clearly not resonated well with these fans in light of those comments.
(Continue reading below…)
Ever since Gatland was first appointed head coach of the Lions for the 2013 tour of Australia, fans from outside Wales feel their players are overlooked, particularly Scotland.
Being so alienated from northern hemisphere rugby will only make this worse, with some people feeling he will fall back even more on the Welsh players that he knows. This is what the fans have said:
So he is going to watch his prospective Lions from the other side of the world in 2020. What a load of bollocks. #BritishLions
— Iain Skelton (@ioskelton) June 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/Craig_M78/status/1144526004045533184?s=20
? not sure I agree with this. #Lions coach should be based in GB&I. https://t.co/8XWDnza0nz
— Ryan G (@ArrGee79) June 28, 2019
If this is true, it makes the Lions appointment even more ridiculous… https://t.co/Fo6wS35Iki
— George H (@Me_George_H) June 27, 2019
No issue with his Lions appointment he was the stand out candidate. But sandwiched in between a role in NZ don’t feel right to me.
— Nathan Dark (@njdark7) June 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/Rusty_Rascal/status/1144364541968601089?s=20
Very different. He was still part of northern hemisphere rugby back then.
— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) June 28, 2019
See his own words about Cotter going to France before the last tour. Surely being in a different hemisphere is worse?
— Martin welsh ?????????????? (@accts_cowboy) June 28, 2019
Nope, the spirit of the Lions requires it to be a coach based in the British Isles. Lions aren’t a pro club team, nor a pro national team, yet they are being run that way. The category that they come closest to is probably the BaBa’s. imo
— TVDirectorDavid (@DavidSmithTV) June 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/therealbag11/status/1144372173253074947?s=20
As Gatland is set to take a year off from the Chiefs in 2021, as he did when he was with the Wales team, some have said that it is no different to his previous Lions coaching jobs.
However, many feel this is very different as Gatland was based entirely in the northern hemisphere for the previous two tours.
It meant that while he was with Wales he was still able to scout players. On the other hand, his access to the players that he wants to watch will be far more limited in 2020 while he is with the Chiefs.
View this post on Instagram
Warren Gatland has been announced head coach of the Waikato Chiefs. #WarrenGatland #Chiefs #SuperRugby
Ultimately, it boils down to the tradition and values of the Lions, which some feel are being undermined with the coach being based in New Zealand.
Of course, there is nothing written to say where the head coach should be based, but there seems to be an unspoken rule amongst fans that they must be based in the UK or Ireland.
Then again, no one has ever disputed that Gatland is the best man for the job – and that is because he is one of the best coaches in the world.
WATCH: Warren Gatland expresses his delight at accepting his new role at the Chiefs
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
26 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
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 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!😭😭😭 !!!
26 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
26 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.
26 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 commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
26 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments