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'They look like schoolboys' - NZ media go in hard on Warren Gatland and Wales
By Ian Cameron
Scotty Stevenson and Israel Dagg launched a scathing critique of Warren Gatland and Wales on the Scott & Izzy show on Sports Nation in New Zealand following the team’s 0-12 record under the head coach.
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Wales suffered a 12th consecutive Test defeat, losing 45-12 to South Africa at the Principality Stadium, marking their first winless calendar year since 1937.
The Springboks – despite not being at their best – scored seven tries through Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi, Elrigh Louw, Jordan Hendrikse, and Gerhard Steenekamp, with Hendrikse adding five conversions.
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Pressure mounts on Wales head coach Warren Gatland, whose position appears increasingly precarious.
“I want to touch on Wales,” said Stevenson. “They 0 and 12 and what intrigues me about this is there would be no other top-level professional sports organisation that would stand for that. There would be no other top-level professional sports team that would look at that kind of return and back the coach. None.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Warren Gatland, I really do, and I’ve known Warren for a long time but there’s a point now where this cabal of international coaches – Eddie Jones being the alpha male among them – who have convinced administrators that only they can coach international rugby, that’s it’s some sort of special club that only a few select members belong to and no one else can have a crack.
“I’ve got so tired of that narrative. If Warren Gatland is the best man for the job, he’s not 0 and 12 with Wales. Sorry.
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“Holding a country to random based on past results, or the fact that it’s going to cost them an absolute arm and leg to break a contract, I think does the international game and the very country you’re coaching a disservice. This is an incredible state of affairs. Wales now don’t look in anywhere near resurgent. The same old argument of ‘just judge us on the World Cup’ or ‘I’ve got three years until the World Cup. We’ve got to build and we’ve got to develop’. Horse shit. Wales don’t look like they’d even get out of their pool, let alone make a run for a title.
“Wales have never looked like they’d win a World Cup, even here in New Zealand in 2011. Granted, Sam Warburton’s semi-final game to an abrupt end, but even so. Semi-final is the best they’ve got. At what point to do you say ‘Mea culpa. My bad. I think you guys need a fresh start’
“Imagine if that was here [New Zealand]. Ian Foster lost three Tests and it was ‘chips up, put your cards on the table and move on.'”
Co-anchor Israel Dagg said the team looked ‘like schoolboys’ and said the side was on a ‘downward spiral’.
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Stevenson wasn’t done with whaling on Wales though.
“I realise they are a young side but what has happened behind the scenes in Wales. You’ve got to run a backline with 47 caps against the best team in the world. That’s a failure of development.
“It’s a failure of your programme. Not all of that can be put on Warren Gatland but what I’m saying to you is have you seen any improvement at all? They got hammered by Australia. By Australia, or goodness sake!
“To watch the fans leaving the stadium the way they did, literally turning their back on the team. That is so heartbreaking to see. Because that is a proud rugby country. You talk about a resurgence or a development or an improvement coming… but what about irrelevance? That can come pretty quickly too.
“Right now I can not see a single speck of light at the end of that tunnel.”
He also described Rob Howley’s comment that Warren Gatland was the greatest coach in the world as “patently stupid”.
Go behind the scenes of both camps during the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021. Binge watch exclusively on RugbyPass TV now
The WRU are fully to blame here..ignored grass roots rugby and development of young players for far too long..what we have in wales cant produce players of the quality needed to be competitive at international level so it doesnt matter who's coach..a tailor cant make silk out of a pigs ear as they say..we have a bunch of boys playing against men..theres not a decent pair of arms or shoulders in a red shirt and it shows in the contact areas..its clear physical/power conditioning has gone out the window but its a big part of the game and it cant be ignored..we being swatted like flies!
Very unfortunate situation. They're right about a total failure to develop young players but kicking the Welsh team when they're down is a bit cruel.
They've been down for years, and will continue to do so unless the fossils at the top are removed. HQ clearly do not give a rat's ass about the state of the game there. More concerned with living in the 40s; underpaying players, being sexist and whatnot.
Wow. So there are actually some intelligent kiwis in NZ. Boy did they nail it.
Nick Bishop is going to have trouble digesting this. It's gonna go down like month old welsh rarebit.