GATLAND & O’BRIEN MAKE UP
SEAN O’Brien and Warren Gatland have finally held clear-the-air talks over a radio interview which caused a storm in the wake of the Lions’ tour of New Zealand.
Ireland flanker O’Brien, who started all three Tests of the drawn series with the back-to-back World Cup holders, had controversially criticised the tourists’ management.
He maintained the squad had been over-trained and went into the opening Test, which they lost, fatigued, and also claimed play-makers Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell had taken ownership of the backs from attack coach Rob Howley ahead of the second rubber.
Gatland revealed on Monday he had tried, but failed to contact O’Brien last week and had sent him a text saying he was “more than welcome” to ring at any time.
And O’Brien did, within a matter of hours, saying he told Gatland: “I said what I said to try and make things better going forward.
“The conversation went very well and it was very relaxed. I said exactly what I said and he had no problem with it either.
“He obviously said that he was a little bit disappointed that it could have been dealt with in a different way, but I explained my situation and I explained as well about the amount of positives I had mentioned in that whole interview, but it wasn’t portrayed that way.”
O’Brien, speaking at the One Zero conference in Dublin, added: “It’s put to bed. There’s not much more really left to say on it.
“I said: ‘I’ll see ya (Gatland) in a couple of months for a pint’.”
Gatland yesterday told New Zealand’s Radio Sport Breakfast show he didn’t think the Lions had overtrained, but agreed parts of the schedule were too demanding.
“Sean O’Brien wasn’t critical of myself. He made a couple of points in terms of he felt we over-trained in the first week,” said the returning Wales coach.
“I’ve looked back on that, we didn’t over-train, but I’m disappointed in myself,” admitted Gatland.
“We were a bit heavy-legged for that first week. I look back and was it a combination of arriving in New Zealand on a Wednesday, playing a game three days later on the Saturday where we’re struggling with jet-lag the first week or so?
“We didn’t have any days off before the first Test, apart from travel days.
“We’d been in 10 hotels in two weeks... yeah, we probably were pretty heavy-legged as a result of that.
“I was more disappointed with myself and I mentioned that after the second Test.”
NIGEL Owens says he is mystified why some people can’t see that the new Wales selection policy will benefit the whole of Welsh rugby.
The World Cup final referee believes the cap-based system will make the regions stronger, which will in turn have a hugely-positive impact on both the national team and the community game.
Under the policy which is replacing Gatland’s Law, players will have to play in Wales in order to wear the three feathers, unless they have more than 60 caps.
Owens feels this will mean star names staying with the regions for longer, providing young fans with heroes they want to emulate, while also leaving scope for late-career lucrative moves.
“Something had to be done or we would just continue to lose players,” he said.
“This is a hugely-important decision and a very positive step in the right direction. It will help keep the best players in Wales and strengthen our regions, making them more successful.
“That, in turn, will mean more kids wanting to play rugby and support the regions, as their heroes are playing for them.
“The Welsh Rugby Union should be applauded for doing this, not shot down by people who are reacting in a very negative way and failing to look at the big picture.
“I don’t understand why anybody would be against this.
“Surely everyone would want to have our best players playing in Wales and for the regions to be strong?
“Why some people are so negative about the policy is beyond me. Do they not want the regions to be successful?
“If you are a true supporter of Welsh rugby, you would see this is something that needs to be done.
“If our regions are not strong, then the national team will suffer in the long run and so will the community game.”
There has been a lot of focus on Rhys Webb, who won’t be able to play for Wales next season even though he had already agreed to join Toulon before the new selection policy was announced.
The Ospreys scrum-half only has 28 caps, so won’t be able to get up to the 60-appearance threshold before he moves to France.
“I can’t comment about Rhys’ situ-
ation because I don’t know the particular circumstances,” said Owens.
“But if you take out the individual cases and look at the bigger picture, I do think it will be a very positive policy for Welsh rugby in the long run.
“I definitely think it will work in terms of keeping our best players here for longer.
“When you pick up a rugby ball as a kid you dream of playing for your country. It’s ingrained in you.
“As a player, it would really make me think twice about leaving if I couldn’t play for Wales.
“I don’t think any player will turn down that opportunity.
“So, that will mean the best players staying in Wales, which will make the regions stronger and more successful.
“You will have bigger crowds and more kids wanting to play rugby.
“When the Ospreys had the likes of Shane Williams, Gavin Henson, Justin Marshall and James Hook, I used to train in the gym at Llandarcy.
“You would see all the kids up there in Ospreys replica shirts with the names of the stars on their backs.
“I was up there a couple of months ago and this time there were a lot of youngsters in replica Swansea City jerseys.
“The kids want to wear the star names. They want to emulate their heroes.
“They want to be like Sam Warburton and Jonathan Davies and buy the replica jerseys. So we need the big stars in our game.
“You will get more kids interested and going down to support the regions.
“You will also have more youngsters inspired to take up the game and coming through the system.
“That will be good for the grassroots clubs, the regions and ultimately the national team.
“So this will benefit the whole of Welsh rugby from top to bottom.
“Ireland, England and New Zealand have their best players playing on home soil because of their selection policy and they are thriving at club and international level.
“Everybody in Wales should want regional rugby to be successful.
“The regions are the supply chain for the national side, so it’s important they are strong.
“But if they are doing well, it will also encourage more people to play the game at grass-roots level, so everyone benefits, the whole of Welsh rugby.”
Owens believes the policy change announced this week will enable the regions to be more competitive in future.
“I have been fortunate to be part of some wonderful club occasions in Europe and referee six Heineken or Champions Cup finals,” he said.
“I have seen what it means to those teams involved and to their communities.
“Supporters in Wales have missed out on that.
“Imagine if one of our regions could get to a final? It would be huge. Having our best players playing for the regions gives them a much better chance.
“I don’t understand why people can’t see this is a step in the right direction.”
As for the 60-cap element of the policy, Owens feels that is a good way of recognising loyalty.
“It’s very fair in terms of rewarding players that have show commitment over a long period,” he said.
“If you have been in Wales for seven or eight years and given great service to the game, getting to the 60-cap mark. You can then go and play outside of the country, for financial reasons or to experience a different environment.
“In my opinion, the WRU have done the right thing with this new policy. The whole of Welsh rugby will benefit.”