Tough job awaits Gatland
In a strangely perverse way, Super Rugby results over the past few weekends bode no good for the coming three-Test British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. Or for that matter the waning popularity of Super Rugby itself under the convoluted system currently being employed – a cluttered four conference arrangement which has done little for clarity or comprehension among the average spectators or television viewers.
It has become abundantly obvious that Australian rugby is in decline, that the Kiwi game is in the ascendancy, and South Africa – in parts – sitting uncomfortably somewhere in the middle.
The staggering turnaround yesterday by the reigning series champions, the Hurricanes, sparked by a hat-trick of tries from centre Vince Aso, produced a second 40 minutes which comprehensively nullified anything the Brumbies had to offer and underpinned a convincing 56-21 victory.
It also gave a significant signal to All Black coach Steve Hansen, who was in the stands in Wellington to run his eye over the Hurricanes, that the pool of players he will pick his Test side from, have that inherent ability to soak up immense pressure and come storming back to win. “There’s so many guys putting their hands up, it’s great,” he remarked. What coach wouldn’t want those attributes?
The humiliation of the Brumbies – for bear in mind the men from Canberra led 21-14 at the break – spoke volumes for the level the game has regressed to in Australia. The Brumbies are, after all, the top side in the Aussie conference.
This decline in the Aussie game can probably be traced back to the 2-1 series victory over the Wallabies under coach Warren Gatland on the the Lions’ first Test series win since defeating South Africa in 1997, and a personal triumph for the New Zealand-born mentor who played 17 non-international matches as a hooker for New Zealand, but never won an international cap.
Gatland, who has again been seconded from his job for Wales to coach the Lions odyssey to the Land of the Long White Cloud, knows about New Zealand rugby after 140 appearances for Waikato.
But it must be evident to him that he faces a far more daunting task in winning a series against the All Blacks for the first time since the 1971 Lions than he did in Australia.