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Wales statement: Warren Gatland's recruitment of King and Forshaw
Warren Gatland has confirmed the latest changes to his Wales backroom staff, announcing that Alex King and Mike Forshaw have respectively replaced Stephen Jones and Gethin Jenkins as attack and defence coaches. Both Jones and Jenkins opted not to continue coaching with the national team following the recent sacking of Wayne Pivac and the reappointment of Gatland, who had relinquished the Welsh reins after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
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Ex-England international King and former rugby league international Forshaw join forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys and skills coach Neil Jenkins on Gatland’s staff ahead of the start of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations opener versus Ireland on February 4 in Cardiff.
Gatland said: “I’m delighted that Alex and Mike are joining the Wales coaching team. They both have plenty of experience as players and coaches, which will be hugely important to the development of the squad through the Six Nations and beyond. I’d like to thank Sale Sharks for their cooperation in the process and for allowing Mike to take up this position with Wales.
“We have less than a month to our first Six Nations match against the number one side in the world which, as I have said before, is a great challenge to have first up and one that we are very excited about as a coaching group. Having our first match at home will be very special and I’m really looking forward to getting back out at Principality Stadium in front of the best fans in rugby.”
A WRU statement read: “Alex King and Mike Forshaw have been appointed to Warren Gatland’s backroom team as attack coach and defence coach respectively. King, a former fly-half who won five caps for England, previously served as Wales’ attack coach for the 2017 Six Nations while Gatland was on secondment to the British and Irish Lions.
“King spent the majority of his playing career at Wasps before a move to Clermont Auvergne, where he later transitioned into coaching helping the French side to their first-ever Top 14 title. King also aided Northampton’s Premiership title win in 2014 before a move to Montpellier. His most recent role was as attack coach for Gloucester, a position he held for two seasons.
“Forshaw joins Wales from Premiership Rugby side Sale where he has been defence coach since May 2013. Wigan-born Forshaw, a former dual-code player who was capped by England and Great Britain in rugby league, worked with Warrington and Wigan in Super League and had previously spent three years coaching with Connacht including helping the Irish province make its Heineken Cup debut in 2011.
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“In his playing career, Forshaw represented Wigan, Wakefield Trinity and Leeds Rhinos before a short stint in union with Saracens. He returned to league with Bradford Bulls before finishing his playing career with Warrington Wolves.”
King said: “I’m immensely proud to be part of the Wales coaching team again. I thoroughly enjoyed my previous time working with the squad. There are some talented players in Wales, so I’m really excited by this new opportunity and can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Forshaw added: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead. I can’t wait to meet the players and start working with a really talented squad. I played in Cardiff in 2003 and it’s an incredible place to play rugby. I want to get these lads defending with real energy and I want them to be excited about their defensive work.
“If we can do that then I really think we can take some big steps as a team and achieve something special because the talent is there. I had never met Warren before but he’s obviously one of the game’s great coaches. I spoke to him on the phone and I can’t wait to start working with him and getting to know him personally too.
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“This is probably one of the only jobs that I would have left Sale for but I know that I’m leaving a club that’s going in the right direction. It’s a really special club and I’m excited to see what this group can achieve this season and beyond.”
Comments on RugbyPass
No 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
3 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.
55 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.
5 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo 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.
54 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.
5 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
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 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
54 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.
54 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.
18 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
18 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.
54 Go to comments