What makes Warren Gatland a super-coach?
Ahead of the Kiwi’s Six Nations swansong with Wales, friends – and a foe – reveal his secrets to Daniel Schofield
THE PLAYER Adam Jones
He has changed the face of Welsh rugby. Just look at his list of accomplishments. Before he came in we had won the Grand Slam in 2005 and not much else. Now we are going for a third Grand Slam under him, the expectation of success is completely different.
He instilled a work ethic from the first day that he came in and that has been passed down from year to year. The first thing he said to us when he came in was that we were not fit enough and we were not strong enough. During one of the fallow weeks of his first Six Nations, I remember he brought Paul Stridgeon in for a day session at the Vale and he absolutely killed us. Speak to Ian Gough and he will tell you that he had an out-of-body experience. We were so far out of our comfort zones that we realised then that we had to get a lot fitter. We certainly did that.
The fitter the boys got, the tougher we got mentally. Going into the 2011 World Cup, we backed ourselves as being the fittest team in the tournament. We strove to run teams off their feet. Our mindset had completely changed.
He is very understanding of individuals and how you deal with them. I remember early on we had a training session planned and he asked Gavin Henson and other senior players: “How long do you want to train for?” Gav said half an hour and Gats said: “Well, if it is spot-on then we will train for half an hour.” He would play little mind games like that with you.
When we were fitted for the Lions suits, he would tell us that the tailor told him the Welsh boys always used to look the biggest. You don’t know if that was true, but at the time you believed it.
THE CAPTAIN Ryan Jones
The respect and understanding of what Warren has accomplished with Wales has only grown over time. He has completely changed the mindset and expectation of this group of players. There is no doubt that he made us fitter, but looking back I question now whether we were actually fitter than everyone else or whether the whole world bought into the fact that he kept saying we were the fittest team on the planet.
It is the same now, with what he is saying about us being the most disciplined team around. If you keep repeating that message then slowly the players believe it and so do the referees.
His legacy is the pedestal that he has put Welsh rugby on. He has given Wales a foundation that will last long after he has gone. No one likes to play us any more. Our discipline and defence are among
THE ASSISTANT Graham Rowntree
the best in the world and also we have a hugely competitive set-piece. The fundamentals of our game are there for the world to see. We are probably on our second generation or even third generation of players whom Warren has been instrumental in bringing through. There are lots of players within this current squad who will go on to play in one if not two more World Cup cycles.
He is a very uncompromising, forthright coach, but he was very clear on what his expectations were of the squad and the individuals within it. He was a man who knows his own mind. His art of motivating individuals is second to none.
He knew exactly what buttons to push. And he was not afraid of making the big decisions. He does not budge to outside pressure. Crikey, he dropped me, he dropped Adam Jones and he dropped Brian O’driscoll. But he knew when to use the carrot as well as the stick. He was the master of the impromptu day off and telling boys what they need to hear even if that was not the truth. That is the art of being a great coach. It is his calmness that strikes me more than anything. He is very good at absorbing all that external pressure off everyone else. I was with him in New Zealand with the Lions and that was hard on him. Same in Australia when we left out Brian O’driscoll. But he is good at making big decisions, being accountable and absorbing any pressure that comes on to him.
His big mantra as a coach is less is more. He will reward the guys for quality of training by just cutting the session short. He always promises them that. Nor will he speak for the sake of it. Before leaving the hotel for the final meeting before the decisive Lions Test in
2013, he was very succinct in what he said. I have rarely ever heard him raise his voice, but he gets his point over. He is also very trusting of his lieutenants around him to deliver his message. Again, just very calm, even in intense selection meetings.
He has a good, honest relationship with players. He is very honest with his senior players, sometimes publicly, but they always know where they stand with him. I just found him a warm character to work with – that is genuine warmth. He is not a soft touch by any means and he will let you know if he disagrees. Good drinker, too. Likes his red wine, a bit of pinot noir. Warren is always great company on a night out.
THE RIVAL Brian Ashton
If you look at where Wales are now compared to where they were before Warren took over, it is night and day. It is all the more impressive when you remember the circumstances in which he operates. With all the changes and potential confusion of what goes on in the background of Welsh rugby to keep the national side on track, that is no mean feat.
Do not forget that even though Warren is now an honorary Welshman, he is still a New Zealander who sat on the bench behind Sean Fitzpatrick. You do not get to that level in the game without having a tremendous knowledge of it. I worked with him at Ireland and he was incredibly open-minded and receptive to new ideas.
There is this ludicrous notion that Warren is attached to something called Warrenball. I never had any idea what that means. I never saw it in action. Getting over the gain line, that is just northern-hemisphere rugby. Tactically he is so smart; a lot smarter than he is given credit for. Over the years he and his coaching staff have developed the players to have that capacity to adapt as the game goes on.
You saw that against both England and Scotland. Against England, they kept their composure when they were 10-3 down and being outplayed in a lot of areas. They came out in the second half and turned the game around.
Then against Scotland, they went from a side who looked like they were going to win the game fairly comfortably to suddenly coming under the cosh in the second half. They had to dig in mentally to make sure that they won the game.
Being able to win in such different circumstances is a mark of a really well-coached team.