'I wouldn’t say it too publicly' - Warren Gatland on players who left Wales and why he returned

Wales Rugby Union head coach Warren Gatland insists the upcoming Rugby World Cup is an ‘exciting’ challenge due to numerous injuries and the players who voluntarily left the team.

Speaking on William Hill’s Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast, Gatland said he hopes emerging talents can leave their mark.

“I don’t think our injuries are challenging at all; I think it’s exciting.

“We had a group of players that were coming towards the end of their careers who were great players for us, like Alun Wyn Jones and Ken Owens, for example. Whether they would have made World Cup or not, we don’t know, but we’ve got a great group of younger players that are training the house down. They’ve brought in a different dynamic.

“I’ve never been someone who looks back; I wouldn’t say, ‘I wish he wasn’t injured’ or ‘I wish he didn’t give up’, you just deal with the hand you’ve been dealt and move on. We have to do that at this level of sport and let other people worry about these things. I can’t afford to waste energy and time on things I can’t change.”

While on the topic of his chances at this year’s Rugby World Cup, Gatland shared that he is as determined as ever to give Wales their best chance at success.

“Some people have said that you should never go back, but I’m not afraid of that,” the New Zealander said. “Some people asked if I was worried that I would tarnish what I have already achieved, but I don’t care about that. They asked me to go back – I had my heart and soul with them – and I thought there was an opportunity there.

“I get a buzz about proving people wrong,” continued Gatland. “I’m a driven person, but am I driven a bit more at the moment? I wouldn’t say it too publicly, but we are working our butts off at the moment. Have we been proud of what we’ve done in the past? Yes, we have. Have we overachieved as a nation? Yes, we have. Is rugby important to Wales? It’s steeped in the history of Wales.

“To me, coming back in a World Cup year was probably the biggest reason behind me saying yes to coming back.”

Away from rugby, Gatland discussed how on-pitch attitudes in football can be easily changed to bring them closer to the good standard rugby sets, as he said: “I reckon you could change football within three months with yellow and red cards for language and intimidation. Then they’ll begin to lose games.

“The same thing happens in rugby where rule changes and a player is penalised regularly, their coach says, ‘If you don’t cut that out, you won’t get selected.’ It’s an easy fix.”