I do sometimes wonder if Gatland, despite the grand slams, underperformed slightly during his first stint in charge due to his limited gameplan.
When you look back, he had a side that should have competed more favourably vs the SH big 3.
At our pomp in 2012, we had the best scrummaging tighthead, paired with one of the best all court loosheads, a prime AWJ and a decent partner in Charteris. The choice of Warburton or Tipuric at 7, an indestructible (at the time) Faletau at 8, and options of Lydiate or Ryan Jones at 6.
In the backs, Philips was a beast at 9, a winner at 10 in Biggar, then a great centre pairing in Roberts and Davies, with Scott Williams ready to step in. Back 3, take your pick from Shane, North in beast mode, Cuthbert, Halfpenny and Liam.
I know depth was an issue in some positions which did affect us, but that is some side, and shouldn't have been brushed aside so easily by NZ every time we played them, and should have been regularly beating SA and Aus, and properly challenging for the WC. 2011 was probably the year, and one of the few times where we played some genuinely good stuff behind with an attacking 10 pulling the strings in Priestland.
I was always critical of Gatland, and especially of Howley, for failing to unlock our attack. He could rely on fitness, dicipline, and the exceptional defensive structures of Edwards to be succesfull in the 6N (at a time where the rest were also below par), but that didn't cut it vs the SANZAR nations who were just as fit, used to the physicality SA have always brought, and often just outplayed us.
I'm just not convinced Gats was ever as good as some make out, and he was certainly left behind by other coaches post 2019, especially because he refused to diversify his backroom team, especially Howley.
