Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

More details revealed on Warren Gatland's role with the Chiefs

Warren Gatland. (Photo by Jeremy Ward/Photosport)

The Chiefs will enter the 2022 season with a re-jigged coaching structure following the departure of forwards guru Neil Barnes and the return of Warren Gatland after his ‘sabbatical’ with the British and Irish Lions.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gatland was brought in as head coach on a four-year deal beginning in 2020 but after Clayton McMillan so successfully took the reins last season while Gatland was overseas, the Chiefs made the decision late in 2021 to shift Gatland into a director of rugby role for the next two years and retain McMillan in his current post.

Speaking to RugbyPass in November, McMillan touched on some of the broader responsibilities Gatland might have this season but the Chiefs head coach has now revealed that Gatland will still be getting his hands dirty on the day-to-day and will work alongside David Hill looking after the team’s defence.

Video Spacer

Rassie Erasmus interviews South African player of the year Siya Kolisi.

Video Spacer

Rassie Erasmus interviews South African player of the year Siya Kolisi.

Last year, that was primarily McMillan’s responsibility but with Barnes now heading up Taranaki’s NPC side, he’s had to step into a more hands-on role come lineout time.

“The coaching team is getting on like a house on fire,” McMillan told media on Thursday. “Gats has come in and I think he’s pretty understated but he’s a smart man and we’ve all found our niche pretty quickly, really. We get along pretty well but we all challenge each other pretty hard and we’re all open to growing. The early signs are that it’s going to be a great relationship right across the board.

“In terms of Barnsey departing, I’ve picked up the lineout and David Hill’s going to take a more active role in the defensive side of the game, which him and I shared last year, and Gats is working alongside him to provide some guidance there.”

Related

McMillan also confirmed that Nic White and Roger Randle would retain their role’s from last season as scrum and attack coaches, respectively, while Alan Bunting, the head coach of the new Chiefs Manawa side, will also spend plenty of time working with the men’s side.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We’ve also got Alan Bunting, who’s obviously the head coach of the Manawa, but he’s basically a full-time employee of the Chiefs,” McMillan said. “We’ve done that deliberately. He’s filling the skills coaching role.

“We accept that when he’s going to be with the Manawa, that will be his priority, but to kind of accelerate his learning and for us to tap into his experience, he’s been in for the whole pre-season and then once Manawa’s over, he’ll re-integrate back in with us.”

While Gatland’s first year in charge of the Chiefs got off to a strong start, with the team recording three wins from their opening five matches, things took a nasty turn following the Covid-enforced break and the Chiefs lost all eight of their Super Rugby Aotearoa matches.

Related

In contrast, the side enjoyed a strong 2021, managing nine wins from 14 matches and narrowly missing out on the Super Rugby Aotearoa title to the ever-strong Crusaders.

ADVERTISEMENT

McMillan says that since returning to the Waikato, Gatland has added value where needed but also maintained a respectful distance so as to learn how the team operates with McMillan in charge.

“Gats is in here every day so this is not a part-time role for him,” he said. “We want him to be here, we want him to have an active role in everything we do. From my perspective, it’s been awesome.

“He’s just really… I wouldn’t say sat back, but he’s been really respectful in seeing how I operated because unlike the other coaches, he didn’t really get to see how I operated [last year]. It’s only taken a couple of weeks to all get into our groove and we’re all really happy.

“I’m really confident that his knowledge, his experience is going to serve us really well in the role that he’s got.”

The inaugural Super Rugby Pacific competition kicks off on February 18, with the Chiefs taking on the Highlanders a day later.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ The joy, spirit and obstacles of the rugby pilgrim The joy, spirit and obstacles of the rugby pilgrim
Search