Don’t rule out Gatland for All Blacks job – Marshall

ALL Blacks legend Justin Marshall insists Wales boss Warren Gatland remains a candidate for the top job in New Zealand one day.

The former scrum-half also tipped Wales to be a force at the Rugby World Cup next month after they took the All Blacks’ place at the top of the world rankings last weekend.

Gatland will leave his post with Wales after the global gathering later this year, having enjoyed 11 successful years in charge.

He returns to his homeland of New Zealand, where he will take control of his hometown Super Rugby franchise, the Chiefs, in Waikato. It’s a move that will take him a step closer to coaching the All Blacks, the biggest job in Kiwi sport, which looked a long way off just two years ago.

Gatland was billed as the enemy, even mocked up as a clown by one national newspaper as he guided the Lions to a drawn series against the back-to-back world champions.

But now, despite the messy fallout from that tour, Marshall says the NZRU should not discount the former hooker.

“I certainly don’t think that he is, by any means, under the umbrella of ‘he’ll never coach the All Blacks’,” said Marshall.

“I know that the people who know the game within the New Zealand Rugby Union, would never rule the opportunity out.

“He’s too successful and too well respected for us to say ‘never’. He’s well and truly a candidate if he wants to do it at some stage in the future.”

He added: “I think Warren Gatland always has New Zealand rugby in the back of his mind. He played rugby here, he knows what New Zealand culture is like.

“In 2017, he faced it in a different capacity when suddenly he was the enemy and that’s just reality, he can’t change that.

“Now he’s going to be coaching our youth and our Super Rugby players.

If that’s bad for the game then people don’t know the game.

“We’re getting an amazing rugby brain with an incredible amount of experience, a successful coach who’s not equalled in many areas.

“I think it’s great for New Zealand that he’s decided to come back and great for the growth of our game.”

Before Gatland returns home, he has one more, very important, order of business to deal with – the World Cup. The 55-year-old is in the final weeks of preparation for the tournament, having seen his Wales side lose to England at Twickenham before beating them in Cardiff last weekend.

It comes after a Grand Slam success, a historic 14-game unbeaten run and a first win over Australia for the first time in 10 years.

Things couldn’t be going much smoother for Wales – barring injuries to Taulupe Faletau and Gareth Anscombe – ahead of the trip to Japan.

And, with the tournament on the horizon, Marshall is adamant that Wales cannot be ignored.

“In the two previous Rugby World Cups, they’ve been there or there abouts. They’re competitive,” insisted Marshall, who was speaking on behalf of Land Rover, Official Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2019.

“They’ve almost been in a final as well. You can’t ignore that type of consistency.

“Unfortunately, from Wales’ perspective, they do have some history to deal with if they come across a team like the All Blacks, who they haven’t beaten in a while.”