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Under pressure Warren Gatland confronts prospect of Wales sack

By PA
Warren Gatland, Head Coach of Wales, looks on prior to the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Wales and Fiji at the Principality Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Warren Gatland says he would probably head to the beach with a glass of wine “away from some of the pressure” if it was decided he should not continue in his role as Wales head coach.

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Wales have lost their last 10 Test matches and are without a Test win since the 2023 World Cup.

Defeat against in-form Autumn Nations Series opponents Australia on Sunday would inflict a record run of bad results on them, eclipsing the current sequence and that of 2002 and 2003 under Gatland’s fellow New Zealander Steve Hansen.

Life is not about to get any easier either, with Wales hosting world champions South Africa after Australia, before kicking off the Six Nations against France in Paris early next year.

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Karl Dickson explains how referees are refocusing on 50/50 kick contests

Referee Karl Dickson explains how World Rugby referees are now focusing on players giving access to a 50/50 contest under the high ball.

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Karl Dickson explains how referees are refocusing on 50/50 kick contests

Referee Karl Dickson explains how World Rugby referees are now focusing on players giving access to a 50/50 contest under the high ball.

There are mitigating factors, with players such as Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Dan Biggar, George North, Ken Owens and Gareth Davies all retiring from international rugby during the past 18 months, while Louis Rees-Zammit went to the NFL and injuries have severely hampered the likes of Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams.

Gatland has also capped more than 20 players since returning for a second stint in charge ahead of the 2023 Six Nations, but Test results still stand out like a sore thumb – played 22, won six, lost 16.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins
1
Draws
0
Wins
4
Average Points scored
28
32
First try wins
80%
Home team wins
60%

Asked if he felt there was confidence in his project from employers the Welsh Rugby Union, Gatland said: “I am probably not the person to ask in terms of those questions.

“I have been very clear that I am really comfortable with the decisions we’ve made.

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“We have tried to point out from the outset that we need to go through some pain. I didn’t think there would be this much pain, to be honest.

“If a decision is made in terms of what you are talking about, I am more than comfortable with that. I’ve been around the game for long enough.

“I will probably go back to the beach, have a glass of wine and enjoy myself away from some of the pressure!

“We have tried to be clear about building and developing this group of youngsters. We know it takes a bit of time. I am well aware you are not always given time.

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“It is about results. I have tried to not shy away from that. I understand that. Criticism is part of the job and the role.

“All we can do is keep working hard, as we have been doing as coaches and players. Hopefully, the tide turns pretty soon.

“If I look back at squads that I’ve been involved with in the past, you have had World Cups campaigns with teams. The progress we’ve made, having those three months together, and then the continuity you have for the next couple of seasons…

“We lost all that continuity after the (2023) World Cup, and we made the decision to invest in this group of younger players. It’s going to take time. Whether we get that, time will tell.

“The positive vibes I am getting back now, they (players) haven’t lost confidence.

“In terms of what they are saying, they are well aware they need to get across the line, and it is how they do that. Maybe the bounce of a ball, some decisions and a bit of luck would help, but we will keep fighting.”

Related

Gatland, meanwhile, has made four changes for the Wallabies encounter, with wing Mason Grady and scrum-half Tomos Williams both injured.

Williams suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday’s defeat to Fiji, and is replaced by Ellis Bevan, and Scarlets wing Tom Rogers takes over from Grady.

Elsewhere, Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan will make his first Test start in 13 months, having last featured in a Wales Test line-up against World Cup quarter-final opponents Argentina before knee and hamstring injuries sidelined him for last season’s Six Nations and summer tour to Australia.

Morgan replaces openside flanker Tommy Reffell, and James Botham also earns a back-row opportunity, wearing the number six shirt instead of Taine Plumtree.

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Comments

2 Comments
O
OJohn 7 days ago

Sack the kiwi ! Almost everybody else has. Grow some cahunas Wales. Hire a Welsh coach. Restore some pride in your team and your country ffs.

M
MakeOllieMathisAnAB 7 days ago

In other words Gatland doesn’t care.

They should sack his entitled ass effective yesterday.

Loses 10 in a row and says that?

Wales need a committed, determined, passionate coach.

Not someone with a go-ahead-and-fire-me-I’ll-go-have-a-chilled-life-then.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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