Gatland returns to the scene of his ‘raging’ glory
Former hooker was inspired in a famous defeat of the Lions in 1993, writes Gavin Mairs
Sporting a no-nonsense crew cut, Warren Gatland saunters over the line to score a try against some familiar red jerseys. The year is 1993 and this proud son of Hamilton, spurred on by a raging “chip on his shoulder”, has just added to the British and Irish Lions’ humiliation during a 38-10 defeat by Waikato.
This morning, Gatland returns to the scene of his glory, having switched sides, and hoping to generate some more momentum before the first Test. It was growing up in Hamilton that shaped the Lions coach, coupled with frustration he never won a Test cap and that his team-mates never got the chances they deserved with the national side. The 1993 Waikato squad had, to their annoyance, meagre representation in All Blacks selection. A disheartened, if experienced, midweek Lions side did not stand a chance.
“We had a real point to prove against the Lions and we played with a collective chip on our shoulders,” said Duane Monkley, a fearsome No 8 who had played alongside Gatland since 1987 and whom all of Waikato believed should have been an All Black himself. “Warren was very influential, even back then. He used to say, ‘If we can play as well as we possibly can, no one can touch us’, and on that day we did just that. It all came together for us. For a lot of us, it was the best we ever played.”
Monkley scored twice in the first half before creating one for Gatland. “I remember getting the ball and running down the blindside and passed to Warren on my outside and he ran over to score,” Monkley added. “It was a burst of pace from him. It is interesting to see that his boy, Bryn, has ended up being a fly-half because Warren was always like a fly-half in a hooker’s body.”
Gatland established his allround sporting ability at Waikato’s Te Awamutu College, Hamilton Boys’ High School and then Waikato University, with a career in cricket at one point looking more likely than in rugby.
Not only did Gatland open the batting, he also liked to keep wicket and could open the bowling with menacing pace. His natural sporting talent was key to his transformation from a bustling back-row forward in his school days to a pugnacious yet highly skilled hooker when he entered adult rugby and realised that his size and pace were against him.
“He was a loose forward as a schoolboy but when he did not grow tall enough – and he was not fast enough to be a fly-half – he had to become a hooker,” Monkley said.
“It was simple for him because he was a very good cricket player – a fantastic batsman who scored a lot of hundreds and had this amazing hand-eye co-ordination.
“His exceptional skills allowed him to learn how to throw the ball into the line-out and, overnight, he became the best line-out thrower in the country. It was amazing.”
Gatland played 140 times for Waikato and 17 matches for the All Blacks, scoring two tries, but with Sean Fitzpatrick dominating the hooker’s position, he was denied a Test cap. According to Monkley, Gatland’s frustration at this shortcoming would define much of his playing career and that sense of a siege mentality is now influencing his coaching outlook.
“It really bugged him that he did not play a Test match,” Monkley said. “When we played against Auckland, we would scrummage like they couldn’t believe and it was all part of the chip on his shoulder. That is what you want in the team. We once beat an Auckland side with 14 All Blacks to win the Ranfurly Shield. Things like that shouldn’t happen.”
Gatland would go on to become one of the game’s most feted coaches. “He was a player who would always be able to see things to help other players improve their game,” said Monkley, who was part of the Waikato coaching team when Gatland took charge of his native province in 2005. “Gatty had a gift of seeing things that other people couldn’t see.”
Monkley thinks Gatland’s siege mentality could be just as crucial in the Test series.
“When you have a point to prove, it brings out an extra edge and the Lions have that at the moment. There is something wonderful about making history and these Lions boys will be wanting to do that – just like we did alongside Warren in 1993.”