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'There is no anti-Scottish sentiment from me - I definitely want them to do well'
Warren Gatland is back in New Zealand after his recent European scouting mission culminated in his attendance at the Champions Cup final, but the Lions boss will be glued to his TV this weekend to see if Scotland can finally win a big Six Nations game on the road.
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Scotland have become the poor relation of Lions tours in the professional era and Gatland has been subjected to criticism due to picking just three Scots in a 37-strong squad for Australia in 2013 and just two in the 41 players named for the 2017 tour to New Zealand.
Gatland, though, has claimed accusations of bias are wide of the mark and he is hoping Scotland can continue their promising springtime form when they complete their delayed 2020 Six Nations campaign at Llanelli on Saturday, giving him further food for thought regarding the make-up of his 2021 Lions tour squad for South Africa.
“The great thing at the moment is the Scottish players are doing well,” he said when questioned at the Lions jersey launch whether he disliked Scotland. “It’s a big game for them at weekend. “They were coming to Cardiff (last March) with a lot of confidence when that game was called off the day before in the Six Nations. Look, absolutely not. I don’t go around being negative about teams or players.
“I get a lot of criticism about leaving Brian O’Driscoll out and I was anti-Irish at that stage. It’s about picking the best players. Remember, selection is just a matter of opinion. I don’t select the team solely. It’s the five coaches. I can tell you it’s very much a constructive debate about the squad. Everyone has a huge input and collectively we make the decisions as a group.
"We have looked at that and being able to reduce the size of the squad is a lot easier compared to Australia or New Zealand" ?https://t.co/NgqAABnqhP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 29, 2020
“It’s not just me so to be singled out that I was anti-Scottish was a little unfair. I’m a great believer that we must have a representation from all the four nations and that’s hugely important. I hope Scotland do perform well in this autumn campaign and the Six Nations – it makes it a hell of a lot easier for us to pick them.
“The big thing is we know how difficult they are to beat at Murrayfield, and it’s important that as a collective group they play well on the road because we [the Lions] are not playing at home.
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“We’re playing away and you want players that are mentally tough, that can handle the pressure. That is the important factor. There is no anti-Scottish sentiment from me. I definitely want them to do well and I want to be able to take as many players that deserve to go on the tour as possible.”
The skipper of the famed 1974 British and Irish Lions has written a no-holds barred introduction to a compelling new book that counts the costs of professionalism in rugby ??https://t.co/6DH0LkRIUJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 6, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
26 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
26 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
26 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
26 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
26 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
26 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
26 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments