Lions success can be a big boost forWales
WARREN Gatland hopes the achievements of the Lions in New Zealand can serve as a springboard for Wales over the next couple of years.
The Kiwi coach will return to the day job in the autumn as he once again takes up the reins of the Welsh team, having been away from the post for the past 12 months.
He will do so having guided the Lions to a drawn campaign against the world champions, with a number of the players he will be working with through to the 2019 World Cup having played key roles.
“I can take my Lions hat off and start plotting and planning for the next couple of years with Wales,” he said.
“And hopefully transferring that confidence and experiences that we’ve got from Welsh players, and then understanding a little bit more about some of the opposition we will come up against in the next couple of years.
“For me, it’s about the autumn and the Six Nations and then definitely building for the World Cup.
“I am excited as an international coach about the World Cup as it’s the only time you get that period together with the players.
“Normally it’s so tough. You come into campaigns and you’ve got to prioritise, you don’t get a lot of preparation time.
“The nice thing about this Lions tour is it’s been six weeks together and at the World Cup you get two or three months.
“You feel like you can prepare properly and plan properly for World Cups, so I am looking forward to the challenges over the next couple of years.”
Gatland was full of plaudits for the job Wales flanker Sam Warburton has done as Lions tour captain over the last six weeks.
“I thought he did outstandingly well,” he said.
“We spoke about him as an individual and the character he had. He showed that in the way he took not being selected in the starting XV for the first Test.
“He has been fantastic over the last two Tests. He has led well and spoken well and handled the officials incredibly well.”
Asked whether he thought Warburton could go through to another Lions tour in South Africa in 2021, he said: “He is 28. The thing for him is it’s about him holding his body together.”
And what about the chances of Gatland being at the helm for that showdown against the Springboks in four years’ time?
“If there’s a possibility of that opportunity coming again, it’s something you would consider,” he said.
Lions tour wrap-up: Sport Wales