Popular Kiwi coach Warren Gatland has reaffirmed his commitment to coaching Wales until the end of his contract in 2015, despite speculation that he would return to New Zealand.
rugby365
The former All Black has just led Wales to the final four at the World Cup in his home country, and the performance of his young team has impressed many who would like to see his expertise employed in New Zealand.
“I’ll be honest, at some stage in your rugby career, as I’m a Kiwi, I’d like to come home and do a bit of coaching in New Zealand. But not at the moment and I have made that commitment to Wales,” he said.
If, as is widely expected, Rugby World Cup 2011 is the last for the All Blacks coaching trio of Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, there will be gaps to fill and some say Gatland is an obvious choice after he guided the Welsh team to the semifinals for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 1987.
“We feel like we’ve shown a lot of character, we feel like we’ve played some great rugby since we’ve been here,” he told a press conference on Tuesday.
“We’ll leave here with our heads held high having earned a lot of respect,” Gatland added.
Gatland also announced his strongest team available to play Australia in the battle for bronze at Eden Park on Friday, making three changes to the side that lost to France in last weekend’s semifinal.
It might not be the final they were hoping for but Wales will give the play-off their all.
“The highest we can get now is third so we’ll go out all guns blazing,” said flank Danny Lydiate.
“We want to go out with a win, so it would make the flight a lot better on the way home.”
That means the Bok’s don’t get their hands on him!!
1 @ Blue Bird:
It does, unfortunately… not that I ever thought SARU would be bold enough to consider a foreign coach.
@ Blue Bird:
South Africa is yet to employ an International head coach….just like England….walking around with blinkers on. I thought he would take the Kiwi job myself, but look to Wales being a force for the next 4 years then.
@ grootblousmile:
GBS go to 9 Foxtrot’s site, there is an article about your Oom.
@ grootblousmile:
He would have made the Boks a formidable force!
2 @ 4man:
3 Gatland is doing something right… as has Gert Smal done with the Irish forwards.
Saw somewhere, for the life of can’t remember where that Eddie Jones said he would love to coach the Bokke. What is your opinion about old Eddie van der Jones?
4 @ 4man:
URL??
@ 4man:
The Boys from the valleys must be heaving a sigh of relief! 🙂
5 @ Blue Bird:
I think so too!
Looking at our own SA shortlist, I shudder!
@ grootblousmile:
I’ll e-mail you. Eddie Jones has proved he is a good backs coach and I don’t think he likes being the centre of attention, he didn’t do so great when he was head coach….Oz wasn’t it?
@ grootblousmile:
Is it that bad?
Who is in your top 3….Forgetting other commitments etc
Your ‘Dream Management Team’?
@ Blue Bird:
I think so…..The Welsh are all about passion….Gatland is the perfect foil as a coach….dry as a bone but clearly a great rugby man.
@ 4man:
So, did the Zumba workout not appeal to you last night, sure Mrs 4man would love to take you along to shake your ‘Booty’ !! 😆
11 @ Blue Bird:
I’ll give you my Top 4….
Heyneke Meyer (The guy who built the Bulls empire from 2002 onwards to Super Rugby glory, 3 times)
Warren Gatland
Nick Mallett (just finished his stint with Italy)
Gert Smal (Ireland Forwards coach and was SA forwards coach under Jake White)
@ 4man:
I heard an interesting interview with one of Gatlands Coaches when Gatland himself was playing, he was a lad that had lots of coaching insight and a good understanding of the players strengths and weakness and could not resist giving his own coach some coaching tips!!
@ Blue Bird:
i only heard about it when she got home and she was late for it. Not really my thing and she needs some female company without me around. If the other guys are going then I’ll do it….its a good workout….I have no idea what Zumba is though. I bowled fast balls to Maggie today with full run up and also did 40 pushups, thats enough for one day.
@ grootblousmile:
Would you keep Percy as Kicking Coach and chief water bottle transporter?
@ Blue Bird:
Doesn’t surprise me…he looks like a thinker.
17 @ Blue Bird:
Maybe… or I would go for someone with half a brain…
Actually I would use one of 2 kicking coaches..
Vlok Celliers, Bulls kicking coach
or
Braam van Straaten, ex Springbok flyhalf and he ws the Wallaby kicking coach for this World Cup
My best coaching team.
Technical: Sean FitzPatrick.
Fitness: Kitch Christie.
Head Coach: Jake White/Heynecke Meyer.
Forwards: The England guy before Johnson….forget his name.
Backs: Eddie Jones.
I forgot about Kicking Coach: Naas.
@ grootblousmile:
I thought I would enquire….is there a prize for Currie Cup Superbru this year….I know there was talk of it?
I think any foreign coach would have a hard time if he didn’t get the full support of the rugby fraternity in SA. He would have to change an ingrained mindset and that’s going to be impossible if the people involved don’t want to change. It often happens that we look for a great saviour to solve our problems, but we are our own saviours. All we need is the willingness and then it wouldn’t take a genius to lead us to victory.
22 @ 4man:
Just the Prize of having the honor to win it.
I think from next year I’ll source some proper prizes and maybe throw in a prize or 2 myself as well.
Time is my enemy man, otherwise there would be some other things I would have had time for as well as far as the site is concerned.
OK guys I’m out. Have a lekker evening.
@ 4man:
I won’t be troubling any of you in the prize area this time.
Poor GBS nearly had kittens when I nearly won the RT superbru!
Imagine it, a Pommie woman winning the Super 15…SuperBul was rooting for me tho! He thought it would be a hoot!
@ grootblousmile:
I would offer a ‘Joke’ prize!
Personally, I would prefer Mallet to get another shot as I think he has matured a lot and learnt from his experiences but that’s not going to happen. Heynecke Meyer would be the most acceptable and popular person in rugby circles while Alistair Coetzee would be the politically acceptable choice. If it was politically acceptable I would take Meyer over Coetzee, but if they choose Coetzee, let’s all give him our support as if he fails, our team fails. Let’s not have another Snorre debacle.
@ 4man:
See you Shorty!! 😉
@ The_Young_Turk:
Mallett seems to have done wonders with the Italian side.
Tricky with so litle raw material!
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