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What Gatland said when asked does he want to coach the 2025 Lions

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Warren Gatland admitted he hasn’t yet thought about coaching the 2025 Lions tour to Australia but he claimed the 14 days he will have to spend in isolation when he arrived back in New Zealand from South Africa will provide him will ample time to reflect on what unfolded in recent weekend versus the Springboks in a three-match Test series that was lost 2-1 after an agonising 19-16 defeat on Saturday in Cape Town.

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Gatland flies out of South Africa on Sunday disappointed after Springboks sub Morne Steyn had the decisive say off the kicking tee in the series, just as he did twelve years ago when the Lions were previously defeated. The Kiwi was an assistant coach on that 2009 trip under Ian McGeechan and he had guided the Lions to a series win in Australia and a 2017 series draw in New Zealand prior to taking charge of the class of 2021 in South Africa.

Ex-Wales boss Gatland took on his Lions role on this occasion thanks to a year’s leave of absence from the Super Rugby Chiefs and while he will return to that club work in Hamilton in 2022, he outlined that he isn’t sure what the future holds for him and whether he might be a candidate to be a four-time Lions head coach when they tour Australia in 2025.  

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“It’s something I will reflect on,” he said from Cape Town when attending his final virtual media briefing at the 2021 Lions head coach. “I’m incredibly proud of my involvement. I have been very, very fortunate. I am very passionate about the Lions. I fly back to New Zealand tomorrow and will start thinking about my role back with the Chiefs. 

“I have a long flight and then 14 days isolation in a hotel so it’s the least of what I am looking forward to doing and it’s going to be tough having been in isolation already for the last eight weeks and another challenging couple of weeks ahead. That time on my own will be a good chance to think about what the next chapter of my life is going to be. I’m not someone who plans too far ahead.

“I’m a great believer in what will be will be and other things will be on the horizon hopefully in the future and other opportunities. What they will be I am not sure. I definitely haven’t got any long term plans and it is a wait and see. The thing about Lions tours is they are so intense, not just for the players but all the staff and everyone needs a little bit of a break to refresh and to clear their minds and then start thinking what happens next.”

The one thing Gatland hopes will materialise for the Lions when they next tour is that a more accommodating will allow them a two-week preparation with their entire squad before they fly to the southern hemisphere. The Lions gathering was staggered in 2021. Gatland was left waiting until week two of training for his Saracens, Bristol, Sale and Racing players to arrive, and it wasn’t until the day of their flight to South Africa that their Exeter contingent joined up due to their involvement in the Gallagher Premiership final.

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“The Lions continually need to go and talk to the clubs and the unions. There is a lot of expectation putting a team together in a short space of time to win a series so as the Lions putting together the best players from the northern hemisphere we get less preparation than the national teams do when they go on their own tours. 

“It’s a common theme, I have been continually saying it and hopefully within the next six months that they can iron that out and we can get the schedule for four years tidied up in terms of when finals are on so that you can get the whole squad together for a couple of weeks before you go on tour and that would significantly make a lot of difference in helping preparation.”

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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
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