Wales coach Warren Gatland backed by WRU

[TRF_Cymro]

Wales coach Warren Gatland has been reassured his job is safe after Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis insisted he does not face the sack.

Wales travel to Scotland on Saturday bidding to end an eight-match winless run following their opening Six Nations defeat to England in Cardiff on Friday.

Lewis said: "This is a time for cool heads and certainly not to chop heads.

"At the top of the WRU we believe we have the right people in place with the right skills and experiences."

Gatland, a Heineken Cup winner with London Wasps in 2004, inspired Wales to the 2008 Grand Slam in his first campaign as national team coach but current Welsh form is poor.

Wales have not tasted victory since their final Six Nations game of last season when Gatland's men beat Italy 33-10.

The 2011 Six Nations campaign starts the preparations for this autumn's Rugby World Cup and Wales do have an unfortunate habit of parting company with coaches in the build-up to international rugby's showpiece tournament.

And Gatland has come under increasing pressure since Wales' disappointing performance in their Six Nations curtain-raising 16-19 defeat by England at the Millennium Stadium on Friday.

The WRU backed Gatland by handing him a four-year contract extension in October and Lewis is adamant the New Zealander should be given more time to stop one of the worst sequences of results in the country's history.

"Our coaching team know what is required to win Grand Slams and European Cups as well as how to face defeat," Lewis told the Daily Telegraph.

"To gain respect we first need self-respect and to do that we all need to take responsibility.

"No-one is making excuses, it is up to all of us in the WRU to front up to this together and move forward."

Gatland has admitted he expects the sack should he not guide Wales to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

Wales share a tricky Pool D with Samoa, Namibia, 2007 World Cup nemesis Fiji and world champions South Africa when Gatland takes his team to his native New Zealand for September's showpiece.

Gatland has only won twice in his last 14 Wales internationals but signed a contract extension which would make the 47-year-old Welsh rugby's longest-serving national coach should he remain until 2015.

But WRU chief Lewis conceded Gatland has a release clause in his new and improved contract that he could leave his post as Wales coach should either party want a change with the next four years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/9390663.stm​

 

[monkeypigeon]

Ah yes, the good ole pre-sacking backing. Very nice.

Seriously though, hope he goes. Wales are so much better than they're performing.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

He will stay until the World Cup and then he will be gone. He started off so well but the gameplan is so predictable, thats why teams can just nullify us.

 

[monkeypigeon]

He will stay until the World Cup and then he will be gone. He started off so well but the gameplan is so predictable, thats why teams can just nullify us.

It's a shame that he'll be given to the World Cup. It looks like Wales' Eddie O'Sullivan. Starts off well, gets predictable, starts to stutter and then crashes and burns in the world cup. Hope to **** that it doesn't happen but...omens.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

It's a shame that he'll be given to the World Cup. It looks like Wales' Eddie O'Sullivan. Starts off well, gets predictable, starts to stutter and then crashes and burns in the world cup. Hope to **** that it doesn't happen but...omens.

Wales don't need to rid him before the World Cup, would make things probably worse, point is, Gatland's training regime of having gym type rugby players is not paying off, maybe in the case of Adam Jones but I read and heard elsewhere that Gatland makes his men spend more time in the gym than outside on the pitch training ... so thats not really quite poor if its true.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Wales don't need to rid him before the World Cup, would make things probably worse, point is, Gatland's training regime of having gym type rugby players is not paying off, maybe in the case of Adam Jones but I read and heard elsewhere that Gatland makes his men spend more time in the gym than outside on the pitch training ... so thats not really quite poor if its true.

That's what Eddie did too. We ended up with super-fit players who sprint for 7 hours straight and lift cars with one hand but couldn't remember how to pass a ball.

I accept though, that it's too late to do anything about it now.

 

[Teh Mite]

Gatland is catching up with Jenkins now:

Ruddock: 65% wins
Jenkins: 30% wins
Gatland: 44% wins

 

[cyRil]

http://cyrilsplace.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/gatland-gunned-down-by-own-ineptitude/

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Gatland is catching up with Jenkins now:

Ruddock: 65% wins
Jenkins: 30% wins
Gatland: 44% wins

Dam straight he is, worrying as well because Gatland is a better coach than Jenkins :lol: ... should never have sacked Ruddock!

http://cyrilsplace.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/gatland-gunned-down-by-own-ineptitude/

Urgh ... when I saw your team you reminded me of Andy Howells at the Western Fail!

 

[Shaggy]

Have to agree that a change of coach at this late stage probably won't do Wales any good ... Wales aren't losing their games be much either, and I think it's more down to injuries to key players, than the coach.

... Maybe Gatland is maintaining the same style now, and going to unveil something different for the World Cup

 

[TRF_RC]

Remember when all the press were having a go at Martin Johnson? The RFU gave him a chance and look where they are now.
Granted england have 2.5m registered rugby players and Wales only has 50,000, ergo they have more choice, but i think the ethos should be the same: give him a chance.
Yeah, Gatland's had about 3 years but it can't get worse, can it? Maybe this is just the way things have to go for us to get a better team, or maybe i'm just coming up with some ridiculous theory because i'm in denial.
But i maintain, right now, why not leave Gatland in until his contract ends after world cup 2016.

However i do concede we are playing the same predictable style rugby that we were known for in our infamous fall-from-grace 6nations campaign in 2006.

 

[Teh Mite]

Why do people keep saying that? England have choice from around 100 players (just over half the starting main squads from the 12 premiership teams). Wales have a choice from around 50 players (the 3 regions and a couple of others).

This whole "2.5 million registered players" is the biggest smokescreen anyone could come up with. Do the FA have a choice of 35,000,000 players for the soccer team? Do they ********.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That's like saying I'm in contention for the England RL team, because I'm registered with the RFL

 

[dullonien]

Good to know that Gatland has his job untill after the world cup, last thing we want now is to sack yet another coach before the world cup. But Gatland does seem to be struggling to move with the times, rugby has changed, Wales aren't. The new rugby style should suit Wales, as we're traditionally good at running the ball. We struggled physically for a long period, so we couldn't keep hold of the ball to do enough damage, but that's less of an issue now, but we've forgotten how to put an attackign move together.

I think there's a few factors as to why. To begin with, the Blues and Ospreys are struggling with the same things, especially the Ospreys who happen to supply many of our important players. Therefore the players aren't used to playing attacking rugby. I think Rob Howley is useless, but that is Gatland's choice, so he get's gotta take the blame for that. Then there's Gatland himself who's too obsessed with the gym and getting back to playing like we did in '08. However, the players themselves have gotta cop some flak, as the are simply not playing well. No-one would be coaching Phillips to throw the ball on the ground, the game plan would never have been to forget Roberts was on the pitch. The players simply aren't doing what they are supposed to do (kicking the ball away), or making cruicial mistakes an cruicial times. Untill the players actually start playing well, it's tough to fully judge Gatland and the rest of his team, but it's up to them all to get the players back playing well.

 

[TRF_RC]

Why do people keep saying that? England have choice from around 100 players (just over half the starting main squads from the 12 premiership teams). Wales have a choice from around 50 players (the 3 regions and a couple of others).

This whole "2.5 million registered players" is the biggest smokescreen anyone could come up with. Do the FA have a choice of 35,000,000 players for the soccer team? Do they ********.

What the hell are you on about?
Are you telling me that you don't stand more of a chance of bringing more world class players than we do? Yeah at the end of the day you have to start a match with the same amount of players as we do, but you have a **** load more people that could be there strengthening the depth of your squad. You have a bigger chance of find a better class of player.

Actually, i'm arguing this then i think about how significantly low the number of registered players all the other nations have...and how many of them are better than England.

Ok, so help me out. Surely with that many people registered, by the laws of averages you should be coming out with more world class players competing for your international spots, shouldn't you?

 

[Teh Mite]

1. How many spaces are there for players in top flight XVs?
2. How many players who can't regularly attain a first XV place have any hope in hell of attaining the quality required?
3. How many spaces are there for players in top flight extended squads?
4. How many players outside those top flight extended squads have any hope in hell of attaining the quality required?

2.5 million includes newborn kids who's 38 year old father has just bought them a membership for the local club, right up to Bernard the 95 year-old chairman of Foxworths RFC. They're all "registered", as are the women and every other person who has a membership to any rugby club in England.

2.5million? Pah.

 

[TRF_RC]

So, does that not mean the 50,000 is Wales is also significantly smaller than suggested?
All i mean to say is, there's a hell of a difference between 50,000 and 2.5m...how can this not be advantageous to England.

My logic is, there's no end to talent. There will always be people who are much better at rugby than others. With however many England have to chose from, there's more chance that more amazing talents will rise through the ranks and make it in to top flight rugby than there is for other countries

I can see what you're saying, and i never claim to be a bright guy, but i just can't see past the numbers.

 

[Teh Mite]

In the current set up I make it there 210(ish) "chances" for the French, 180(ish) for England (forgeting the EPS system bringing it down to 64), 60(ish) for the Irish, 45(ish) spaces for the Welsh and 30(ish) for the Scots to be in contention for test caps (assuming everyone goes with the "play at home to be picked" mantra).

All of a sudden the pools look rather small.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Good to know that Gatland has his job untill after the world cup, last thing we want now is to sack yet another coach before the world cup. But Gatland does seem to be struggling to move with the times, rugby has changed, Wales aren't. The new rugby style should suit Wales, as we're traditionally good at running the ball. We struggled physically for a long period, so we couldn't keep hold of the ball to do enough damage, but that's less of an issue now, but we've forgotten how to put an attackign move together.

I think there's a few factors as to why. To begin with, the Blues and Ospreys are struggling with the same things, especially the Ospreys who happen to supply many of our important players. Therefore the players aren't used to playing attacking rugby. I think Rob Howley is useless, but that is Gatland's choice, so he get's gotta take the blame for that. Then there's Gatland himself who's too obsessed with the gym and getting back to playing like we did in '08. However, the players themselves have gotta cop some flak, as the are simply not playing well. No-one would be coaching Phillips to throw the ball on the ground, the game plan would never have been to forget Roberts was on the pitch. The players simply aren't doing what they are supposed to do (kicking the ball away), or making cruicial mistakes an cruicial times. Untill the players actually start playing well, it's tough to fully judge Gatland and the rest of his team, but it's up to them all to get the players back playing well.

I go back to the point at regional level, Ospreys are the major factor to why don't play well, personally are the Ospreys coaching staff good enough for the talent there?

 

[dullonien]

I go back to the point at regional level, Ospreys are the major factor to why don't play well, personally are the Ospreys coaching staff good enough for the talent there?

No! That's my opinion anyway. I think Humphreys deserves more time, as the forwards are going well, especially the scrum with Paul James, Adam Jones, Duncan Jones, Craig Mitchell and Ryan Bevington all going well and even improving at a steady pace. However I don't think much of Holley atall. Not a fan of Johnson at the Ospreys either, he comes across as a bit of a prat and seems increadibly selfish, with some of his comments about shoving Jon Thomas and Ryan Jones in at lock, or retaining Biggar at 10, or even his views on loaning players to other regions. Considering he used to be involved with the Welsh team, he doesn't seem to be willing to help in any way.

There's a distinct similarity at the moment between how the Ospreys and Wales are playing. Both have relitively strong packs, able to compete with just about everyone, yet neither team are creating all that much behind. Considering the talent both the Ospreys and Wales have in the backline, both are currently terrible at utilising it.