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Warren Gatland suggests Lions needed more prep time

By PA
Robbie Henshaw /PA

Warren Gatland has urged organisers to provide more preparation time for the next British and Irish Lions tour to give a greater chance of success.

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Head coach Gatland suffered a first series defeat in his third stint with the Lions after Saturday evening’s dramatic 19-16 loss to South Africa wrapped up a 2-1 win for the world champion hosts.

The New Zealander has not ruled himself out of leading a fourth tour in 2025 but believes changes must be made to the schedule in order to satisfy expectation.

“It’s just about the Lions talking to the clubs and unions about having that adequate preparation time to go on a tour,” he said.

“You are playing away from home, normally with a lot of travel. You are putting a team together in such a short period of time and there’s a lot of expectation to win a series.

“As the Lions, when you’re putting together the best players from the northern hemisphere, we get less preparation time than the national teams do when they go on their own tours. It’s a common theme. I’ve been continually saying it.

“Hopefully in the next six months they can iron that out and we can get the schedule for four years’ time tidied up in terms of when finals are on, so that you can get the whole squad together for a couple of weeks before you go on tour.

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“That would make a lot of difference in terms of helping preparation.”

The Lions deservedly led 10-6 at the break on Saturday evening in Cape Town but the Springboks battled back after the break before veteran fly-half Morne Steyn – who kicked the decisive penalty of the 2009 series – remarkably repeated the feat with less than two minutes to go.

Gatland previously masterminded a 2013 tour win in Australia and a 2017 draw in his native New Zealand, with the Lions pencilled in to return to the former in four years.

Speaking about his own future, the 57-year-old said: “In terms of (my) involvement, there’s a lot of water under the bridge in four years. A lot of things can happen in that time.

“I’ve loved my time with the Lions.”

The Lions’ place on the rugby calendar has already been the subject of much debate.

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This year’s tour – which suffered further complications due to coronavirus restrictions – was squeezed from six weeks to five, with the tourists playing one game fewer in the host country.

Rugby’s current global schedule only covers up until the end of 2023 and Gatland has called on the game’s powerbrokers to protect the “incredibly unique” place of Lions tours, feeling only the World Cup can match them as a spectacle.

“If you talk to anyone, the players that are involved – either the Lions players or anyone from the southern hemisphere – there’s two events in the calendar that happen every four years: the Lions and the World Cup,” he said.

“Those are the two things that players want to be a part of.

“Normal tours generate a huge amount of financial reward to the southern hemisphere teams, but it’s special and it’s unique.

“It’s something we need to preserve on the calendar, a very important part of the cycle.

“We know the Rugby Championship, the Six Nations and they’re yearly; these things (World Cup and Lions tours) are biannual on a four-yearly cycle (which) is extraordinary and incredibly unique and special.”

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Adrian 13 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

6 Go to comments
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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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