Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

Revealed: What Gatland does to bring best out of every Lions player

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Lions full-back Stuart Hogg has delivered a compelling insight into how boss Warren Gatland motivationally pushes the buttons of every player he has on tour to repeatedly get the best out of them. Hogg has been on all three tours that have been led by the New Zealander and he has spoken from Cape Town about the way the coach rouses his players so that they deliver for him. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Having defeated the Wallabies in the 2013 series and drawn the 2017 series with the All Blacks, the Lions head into Saturday’s second Test versus the Springboks 1-0 up following last weekend’s 22-17 series-opening win in South Africa.

It has left the tourists just one more win away from seeing Gatland potentially decorated as the greatest Lions coach of all time and Hogg, the Test-starting No15 who last month could only make the Exeter bench for the Gallagher Premiership final, has revealed how the Kiwi forensically goes about his business of winning.

Video Spacer

Jason Robinson’s history as a Lions tourist

Video Spacer

Jason Robinson’s history as a Lions tourist

“The thing that I like best about Warren is you never quite know where you sit with him, he challenges you on a daily basis,” beamed Hogg, who had to wait until his third Lions tour to finally make the Test team. “Sometimes you think you are having a very good conversation and all of a sudden he will challenge you on something and it will make you refocus and switch on. He brings the best out in everybody because of the mindset that he has got. 

Every little opportunity we have got in training, the training sessions have been between 25 minutes and 50 minutes long but as long as we are committed for the whole time we are on the training field and we make it as intense, as fast and as accurate as we possibly can he is very, very happy. He has been a part of two successful Lions tours and to be part of a third would be absolutely incredible.

“He is up there with the best coaches in World Rugby and that is the reason why he is the head gaffer of this job with the Lions. He has done an incredible job but I know fine well he is not finished. He wants to get everything out of everybody to make sure we are successful in the next couple of weeks and then he can then enjoy a glass of red afterwards and chill out.”

Where Gatland is especially motivational is how he has involved players’ families in this latest Lions tour even though they are all having to watch from home rather than be there in person at the matches in South Africa. “He is massive on families and that is something that means a hell of a lot to me,” continued Hogg.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Leaving my wife and kids and parents and brother back at home is something I found challenging when you are away but he has found ways of getting them involved throughout. We have had photos in our room, we have had messages on the team selection, we have had just tiny little bits and pieces that he thinks is perfect for the boys.

“It makes all the sacrifices that you make with your time worthwhile because he is involving everybody because he knows well that if we were living in a normal world they would all be here supporting us. If you get a happy, healthy human you get an even better rugby player and that is something he is massive on which is very much appreciated from us as players.”

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

J
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

13 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'Two groups of dancing bears': The cross-code clash making a comeback for charity 'Two groups of dancing bears': The cross-code clash making a comeback for charity
Search