New Zealand critics turn fire on Gatland
QUADE Cooper was dubbed ‘Public Enemy No.1’ by the New Zealand media at the 2011 World Cup.
Now those same critics appear to be turning their fire on Warren Gatland.
Australian genius Cooper was targeted because he was regarded as the biggest danger to the All Blacks winning the tournament.
And they did everything possible to turn up the heat on the prodigiously talented play-maker, with a series of stinging articles that undermined his confidence to such a degree he’s never fully recovered.
The Kiwis will see any Lions player or member of the management as fair game and Lions coach Gatland will expect some extra attention, not least as he’s a Kiwi but because he’s seen in some quarters as a threat to New Zealand supremacy.
And the spotlight has been shone on him Down Under following the announcement of his 41-strong squad with high-profile rugby writer Liam Napier questioning his ability.
“Do the Lions have the right coach?” wrote Napier on Kiwi website Stuff.
He claimed England coach Eddie Jones, Ireland head honcho Joe Schmidt and outgoing Scotland boss Vern Cotter were better candidates for the Lions job.
“Schmidt was the standout contender, having plotted Ireland’s historic victory over the All Blacks and led a revolution that saw the Irish claim successive Six Nations crowns in 2014/15,” reasoned Napier.
“Schmidt knows the New Zealand rugby landscape just as much as Galtand. Fellow Kiwi Cotter also brought a much more competitive edge to Scotland and Jones matched the All Blacks’ 18 Test unbeaten run with England.”
Schmidt and Jones ruled themselves himself out of the running for the job but would have known Gatland was always the favourite after plotting the 2-1 conquest of Australia by the 2013 Lions while Cotter wasn’t offered the prestigious post.
That led Napier to ask: “How hard did the Lions bosses try to get them? And did Gatland get the job as last man standing?
“Gatland’s experience as Lions coach no doubt counts in his favour.”
He described Gatland’s winning record as Wales coach against the southern hemisphere big three of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa as “dire”.
Since taking charge ahead of the 2008 Six Nations, not once has Gatland led Wales to victory over New Zealand, Australia or South Africa on foreign soil in five trips south and in 15 matches.
And his overall record with Wales against that trio stands at played 35, won three, lost 32. None of those successes have come against the All Blacks.
Wales have shipped 344 points and 39 tries while scoring 140 points and crossing the whitewash just 10 times in as many matches with New Zealand.
“Sure, the Lions are a different beast to Wales but there is no doubt the All Blacks home record is a huge factor in this three-Test series and Gatland does not have glowing credentials for being the man to break that drought,” went on Napier.
And he questioned whether Gatland was right to criticise a section of the crowd who booed Cooper during a Test in Auckland last year.
“One of the things I was proud of as a Kiwi was showing humility.
“The All Blacks try to do that but there’s a proportion of New Zealanders that have a little bit of arrogance and not humility,” Gatland said at the time.
“As a Kiwi I was sitting in the stands watching the game and I was a little bit embarrassed.”
Those comments led Napier to conclude: “He’d better hope those Kiwis are in a forgiving mood.”