I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU , EDDIE
Gatland insists he has plenty to learn from Jones then tips him to beat the Boks in ‘easiest tour’ as next Lions coach
WARREN GATLAND has cast himself as the sorcerer’s apprentice ahead of his Twickenham showdown with Eddie Jones.
Gatland goes into Saturday’s clash boasting three Six Nations title wins, two Grand Slams and a pair of unbeaten Lions tours.
Yet he claimed: “Eddie doesn’t need to nick anything from me. I’m the one learning from him. I’m watching him closely.”
This is their first head-to-head since Billy Vunipola declared that the Lions would have beaten New Zealand 3-0 had Jones rather than Gatland been in charge.
“Eddie’s obviously done a great job with England,” Gatland agreed. “And he’ll do a great job if he’s Lions coach in South Africa.
“Three-nil will be expected! It’s probably the easiest of the three tours, isn’t it?”
Saturday’s game between archrivals who each made a winning start in round one will be a fascinating battle of coaching wits.
Jones withdrew himself from the spotlight yesterday, allowing Gatland the stage to himself.
He took the opportunity to hail England as an “incredibly good side” and to describe the challenge of facing a team beaten only once in 24 Tests as “absolutely massive”.
He then named an unchanged team – turning down the chance to recall fit-again Lions duo George North and Liam Williams.
“We don’t have any fear about going up there and playing,” he declared. “We are excited about it. The key for us is to go with confidence and self-belief, to be prepared to play at a high intensity with composure and patience.
“And not to intimidated by the Twickenham factor. Because if we can get a result there, you are going to Dublin for a Triple Crown and potentially playing for the championship.”
Gatland anticipates Jones making just one change to the England team that beat Italy, by restoring Jonathan Joseph at outside-centre.
Of greater concern to Wales, one suspects, are England’s fitness levels which have gone through the roof under their demanding Aussie boss.
Gatland said: “In the past we’ve backed our ability to play for 80 minutes and felt we’ve been fitter than England. We’ve had success playing until the end.
“But this time we’ve got to contain them as much as we can.”