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'You're on 600k': Former favourite turns on Gatland in extreme tirade
By Josh Raisey
Former Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips has said that Warren Gatland “deserves to be kicked out” in an impassioned post online, adding it was “nuts” that the Welsh Rugby Union ever re-hired him.
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Wales slumped to their 10th Test loss in a row on Sunday as Fiji beat them 19-24 at the Principality Stadium for their first-ever win in Cardiff.
Speaking after the match, Gatland said to TNT Sports that “there were a lot of positives,” adding that “I thought we started really well, we attacked, we did a lot of positive things.”
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This appraisal from the Wales boss has not gone down well with some sections of Welsh rugby, particularly with 94-cap Welsh great Phillips, who said that the Kiwi is on “600k a year and doesn’t even have to win.”
Phillips was a stalwart for Gatland for both Wales and the British and Irish Lions, but is one of a number of former players whose patience has grown thin with their former boss, who is still searching for a Test win after over 400 days.
After leaving his role as head coach of Wales after the 2019 World Cup, Gatland was reappointed in 2022 after the sacking of Wayne Pivac, a decision Phillips has described as “nuts”.
The former Scarlets, Cardiff and Ospreys No 9 went on to say that the Kiwi is “only out for himself” and that it “kills” him to see the praise that the three-time Grand Slam winner has received.
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“Loads of positives yeah, you’re on 600k a year and don’t even have to win!” the 42-year-old wrote on X. “How the WRU bring this guy back is just nuts! Laughing all the way to the bank.”
“When I see this guy talking about family makes me cringe. Did he speak to me at the end of my career, did he f! I won for this guy.
“This bloke is only out for himself, and it kills me to see all this bulls**t praise he’s getting. He deserves to be kicked out, like he did to so many quality Welsh players.”
With fixtures against a resurgent Australia and double World Cup winners South Africa to come in November, things are not going to get any easier for Wales. Gatland could well be fighting for his job over the next two weeks, which is inevitable given their poor run.
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While not explicitly calling for Gatland to be sacked, former Wales fly-half Sam Davies, capped eight times by Gatland in his first spell, has said on X that it is “time for change” in the Welsh set-up.
Another Gatland favourite, Andy Powell, hopes that his former boss keeps his job, but queried online whether it’s a “P45 for Gatland” following the Fiji defeat.
When I see this guy talking about family makes me cringe. Did he speak to me at the end of my career, did he f! I won for this guy.
This bloke is only out for himself, and it kills me to see all this bullshit praise he’s getting. He deserves to be kicked out, like he did to so…— Mike Phillips (@mikephillips009) November 11, 2024
Time to chill on the couch and write guest columns for Rugbypass, Warren.
Quit milking it.
Wow so many of these former players have such high opinions of themselves and their teams. Does this guy realise Fiji beat England and nearly again in a RWC semi?
What were these positives people were saying about him anyway? You'd think they could have got a better coach for 600k (what?), no?
Agree with Phillip's here, Wales should have never taken him back. With that said, I do feel a bit sorry for him & obviously their team & fans. Wales have always been a proud rugby nation & it's sad to see them in such disarray.
That's not what his rant was saying at all, in fact he didnt seem to care about the effect on the team he played for or their fans at all. It was just a personal attack, which is ironic giving what he was being critical of.
Gatland have no support from the WRU. Ever since he rejoined Wales, his hands was tied. The WRU is out for themselves. They don't bother to even try and keep their best players. There is no incentive for those players to stay in Wales, because they get peanuts. They have families to support. So they leave for greener pastures. Gatland made a mistake returning. He became another Eddie Jones.
Despite not getting support, he should have been able to get more out of the teams he chose. He didn't. Any coach losing 10 games would have been sacked a long time ago.
Wales need to roll the dice and get another coach. Someone like Franco Smith of Glasgow Warriors or Johan Ackermann. That is 2 excellent SA coaches really making name wherever they go. Or even Jacques Nienaber. A WC winning coach used as a defensive coach for Leinster.
There is many other coaches ready for the international stage. I don't know the coaches of Wales, but they aren't adapting. They are still playing the same type of game like they did a decade ago. The same strategies that made them so good. Times have changed. Those styles don't work anymore.
They seemed to do pretty good in the 6N, but yep, smacks of the union trying to play above their means (ability wise).
You're making the same mistake, just go with someone the same level as the players. Eddie Jones would have been great for them. Ben Herring would be a great coaching fit for Wales now.
When are Wales going to grow some balls and kick the kiwi coaches out. You're pathetic Wales. Weak, weak, weak. Where's your national pride you soft c......
You're being conned you twerps :)
Imagine living right next door to the con b@rstards and making the same mistakes!
Gatland's been hanging onto Shaun Edwards' coat-tails for decades... Reappointing him was a terrible idea. He was awful at Waikato, awful for the Lions and when Wales were good it was the defence that they excelled at.
The Chiefs, yeah. Didn't see him do anything in his year there.