‘No issues with Warren’

CHIEF EXECUTIVE TIERNEY REVEALS DETAILS OF CONVERSATION WITH WALES HEAD COACH GATLAND AFTER WOODEN SPOON DEFEAT

WELSH Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney insists she had no problem with Warren Gatland revealing she had turned down his offer to resign, and is confident he can get Wales winning again.

Following Wales’ disappointing defeat to Italy in Cardiff, which sealed a first Six Nations Wooden Spoon for 21 years, Gatland said he had offered his resignation to Tierney who refused it.

“I just said to Abi in the changing room ‘If you want me to resign, I’m quite happy to do that’,” said Gatland in the post-match press conference.

“She said ‘Like hell, that’s the last thing I want, that’s what I’m really afraid of’.”

Speaking exclusively to Walesonline’s Welsh Rugby Podcast, Tierney revealed the full detail of the conversation she had with Gatland immediately after losing to the Azzurri.

“It was in the changing room after the game,” Tierney said. “Nigel (Walker) and I both went down there.

“It was a very brief conversation. Nigel had said pre the game when he did the interview that Warren had our support and that wasn’t going to change after the Italy game.

“I look around the world and Warren is one of the best coaches in the world.

“He’s got one of the best track records. Why wouldn’t we be sticking with him and giving him our support?

“That doesn’t mean in any way there isn’t going to be a very detailed review and looking at all aspects of the game and our performance.

“At that moment it was human to human.

“I was giving him my support as the coach.”

There are some who claim Gatland should have kept it to himself while there are others who are of the opinion that Tierney should have taken more time before coming to a conclusion.

But Tierney has no issues with Gatland going public and is confident he can turn things around.

“I don’t think so,” said Tierney when asked if it was inappropriate Gatland relayed their conversation to the press.

“When you say private conversation, it wasn’t a particularly formal conversation.

“It was in a changing room with lots of other people walking around and things.

“It’s important to me that Warren has confidence that he can turn this team around. If that meant he was able to go into that press conference with confidence that he had our backing then I think that was important.”