What Gatland said when asked does he want to coach the 2025 Lions
Warren Gatland admitted he hasn’t yet thought about coaching the 2025 Lions tour to Australia but he claimed the 14 days he will have to spend in isolation when he arrived back in New Zealand from South Africa will provide him will ample time to reflect on what unfolded in recent weekend versus the Springboks in a three-match Test series that was lost 2-1 after an agonising 19-16 defeat on Saturday in Cape Town.
Gatland flies out of South Africa on Sunday disappointed after Springboks sub Morne Steyn had the decisive say off the kicking tee in the series, just as he did twelve years ago when the Lions were previously defeated. The Kiwi was an assistant coach on that 2009 trip under Ian McGeechan and he had guided the Lions to a series win in Australia and a 2017 series draw in New Zealand prior to taking charge of the class of 2021 in South Africa.
Ex-Wales boss Gatland took on his Lions role on this occasion thanks to a year’s leave of absence from the Super Rugby Chiefs and while he will return to that club work in Hamilton in 2022, he outlined that he isn’t sure what the future holds for him and whether he might be a candidate to be a four-time Lions head coach when they tour Australia in 2025.
“It’s something I will reflect on,” he said from Cape Town when attending his final virtual media briefing at the 2021 Lions head coach. “I’m incredibly proud of my involvement. I have been very, very fortunate. I am very passionate about the Lions. I fly back to New Zealand tomorrow and will start thinking about my role back with the Chiefs.
“I have a long flight and then 14 days isolation in a hotel so it’s the least of what I am looking forward to doing and it’s going to be tough having been in isolation already for the last eight weeks and another challenging couple of weeks ahead. That time on my own will be a good chance to think about what the next chapter of my life is going to be. I’m not someone who plans too far ahead.
"Congratulations to South Africa"
– Lions coach Warren Gatland has held his last media briefing as the 2021 tour head coach following his team's 19-16 loss to the Springboks in Cape Town#LionsTour2021 #LionsRugby #BoksvLions #CastleLionsSerieshttps://t.co/2cvdLYlIRi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 7, 2021
“I’m a great believer in what will be will be and other things will be on the horizon hopefully in the future and other opportunities. What they will be I am not sure. I definitely haven’t got any long term plans and it is a wait and see. The thing about Lions tours is they are so intense, not just for the players but all the staff and everyone needs a little bit of a break to refresh and to clear their minds and then start thinking what happens next.”
The one thing Gatland hopes will materialise for the Lions when they next tour is that a more accommodating will allow them a two-week preparation with their entire squad before they fly to the southern hemisphere. The Lions gathering was staggered in 2021. Gatland was left waiting until week two of training for his Saracens, Bristol, Sale and Racing players to arrive, and it wasn’t until the day of their flight to South Africa that their Exeter contingent joined up due to their involvement in the Gallagher Premiership final.
“The Lions continually need to go and talk to the clubs and the unions. There is a lot of expectation putting a team together in a short space of time to win a series so as the Lions putting together the best players from the northern hemisphere we get less preparation than the national teams do when they go on their own tours.
“It’s a common theme, I have been continually saying it and hopefully within the next six months that they can iron that out and we can get the schedule for four years 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 and that would significantly make a lot of difference in helping preparation.”
PLAYER RATINGS: Heartbreak for the Lions, not least because they'll view it as a game they could and maybe should have won.
Here's how we rated the Lions players #LionsRugby #RSAvBIL #CastleLionsSeries https://t.co/7VT2gYereg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
It was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf 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 commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to comments