OWENS: TIME TO RESTORE PRIDE
TIME AT GALWEGIANS WAS A HUGE PART OF WARREN’S LIFE
gical intervention — the longest of roads for poor Shona — or let nature take its course?
“I spoke to the hospital’s Professor of Paediatrics and asked him to give it to me straight.‘On a scale of one to ten, how bad is Shauna’s condition?’ I asked. ‘She’s a nine;’, he replied.
“That was the hardest, most gut wrenching conversation of my life.”
Shauna, it was explained to the Gatlands would face a lifetime of major operations.
“Even if the medical side went entirely to plan — even if she fought like a lion to survive — what kind of life would be on offer to her?” he said.
Surgery
“There would be 10 years, 11 years 12, 13, 14 years of unrelenting surgery. She would be wheelchair-bound on a constant risk of infection.
“With the full support of the hospital staff, including those at the most senior levels, we decided to take the other route. A heartbreaking one, yes, but also the kinder one.”
Shauna died four months later on May 13 at a point when the family had, in anticipation, moved back to New Zealand.
A back-row and a second-row, Joe Healy was part of that time, that closely-knit circle extending across player-player, playercoach and social occasions.
“That was a very difficult time (above) for them and for us because we had grown so attached and so fond of them,” says Healy. “That was a dreadful set of circumstances, it was dreadful for them.
Important
“It became very important for us that they be given the time and space to do whatever they wanted to cope, whatever ever they saw fit.
“As we know they went back to New Zealand to support and the comfort of their family they could get there.”
Gatland would continue playing in New Zealand but despite the tragedy, the couple were determined to return to Galway.
“The four months we had with her were precious, full of love
CAPTAIN Ken Owens wants Wales to “put pride back in the shirt” in today’s Six Nations opener against Ireland.
Wales host Andy Farrell’s men following a miserable 12 months that delivered just three victories, while their defeats included humiliating home losses to Italy and Georgia.
And off the field, the Welsh Rugby Union has been rocked to its core by sexism and discrimination allegations in the organisation that are now set to be investigated by an independent taskforce.
The Principality Stadium will be packed to its 74,500 capacity as Wales aim to start head coach Warren Gatland’s second stint in charge by shredding the form book.
“It is disappointing what has come out of the past fortnight,” said Owens, who skippers his country for the first time.
Squad
“I would be lying if
I said we hadn’t been talking about it within the squad, but at the end of the day we are in our own bubble as a Wales squad.
“The only thing we can do is concentrate on the rugby and what is coming on Saturday. At the end of the day that is what we are here to do.
“For us, the only thing we can control tomorrow is a performance, to put pride back into the Welsh shirt after what has been a tough couple of years with consistency.
“The only way we can do that as players is by delivering a performance that is worthy for
and tenderness and we treasured every second of that time,” Gatland recalled.
“To my profound and lasting regret, I was in Australia, on a rugby tour with Waikato, when she left us. I flew straight back across the Tasman to say my goodbyes.
“By this time I was in the third year of my spell with Galwegians. They had never been anything other than brilliant with me and when I most needed them to be sympathetic and understanding, they exceeded all expectations.”
Continues Healy: “There was never any question in any ones mind at Galwegians it was the right thing to do.
“But sure we knew what we the red shirt.”
Ireland have not won an away Six Nations game against Wales since 2013, losing four successive encounters.
But they arrive in the Welsh capital top of the world rankings and as favourites to land a first Six Nations title for five years.
Park
Owens added: “The way they play the game is high-tempo, everybody is on the same page and they have got threats all across the park.
“They will go in as favourites, I think. Everybody is writing us off as a team but we know what we expect from ourselves, as a squad and as individuals.”
were getting, an astute reader of the game without any airs or graves. It was never about him.”
Happily Warren and Trudi would subsequently have two more children, Gaby born in 1993 and Bryn in 1995.
His career as a coach after Ireland has been one of the most glittering in rugby history with Wasps, Wales and the Lions.
And now he’s back at Wales and facing Ireland today.
“It’s no surprise Wales reached out to him again in his hour of need, they know what they’re getting, he knows what he’s getting himself in for,”says Healy.
“It’s a little bit ominous for the other nations there because he will get the best out of that squad, no doubt about it.”