Bryn Gatland already reaping the rewards of Chiefs move
Damian McKenzie has stolen the show, but fellow playmaker is also starting to make his presence felt in what is a make-or-break career move. reports.
DAMIAN McKenzie has been the undoubted star of the show, but in the background there is a fellow playmaker also starting to make his presence felt at the Chiefs.
In what has had to be a patient first season of a threeyear deal at a fourth different Super Rugby club (a Crusaders pre-season stint in 2017 included), Bryn Gatland can already feel that his Hamilton homecoming is reaping rewards.
The 25-year-old was facing a crunch time in his career following last year’s inaugural Super Rugby Aotearoa season. After two years at the Blues in 2017-2018, the first five-eighth was then coming off contract after two at the Highlanders, where his time was mostly spent behind Josh Ioane and Mitch Hunt and had him needing to look elsewhere for more minutes.
In the midst of a stellar NPC campaign for North Harbour, where he finished as the competition’s top points scorer, his move to the Chiefs was sorted, with the departure of Aaron Cruden and Tiaan Falcon helping pave the way for Gatland to realise ‘‘a childhood dream’’ of representing the franchise.
Now, all of a sudden, with five games under his belt for his new team, a first taste playoff footy awaits in this fifth year at Super level, as the Chiefs prepare to face the Crusaders in Christchurch in this Saturday night’s decider.
‘‘It’s pretty bloody exciting that we are in the final and a chance to win the thing, especially after a tough start,’’ Gatland said of a move which he has no doubt, even at this early stage, has been beneficial for his future.
‘‘Definitely. You’ve got to look at the positives in every situation, and I think there’s been more positives than negatives for me this year. Being in the final is one of those as well. The chance to win my first Super title, and hopefully play, as well, will be great.’’
That much is for sure, with Gatland having already shown some strength of character to fight through his own test, which had him dropped after his first two outings, as the Chiefs made it a record-equalling 11 defeats in a row for a New Zealand side.
For the new recruit, he may well have had cause to wonder if the family name was some sort of unlucky charm, following father Warren’s winless Aotearoa campaign last year as head coach, then the Chiefs finally breaking their drought only when no Gatland was involved.
Next year will of course be a double act, with Warren returning from British and Irish Lions duty to resume his Chiefs job. But in this hands-off year, contact with his son has been less about his game and more about life.
‘‘We just have a chat about how I’m going in the environment and how I’m feeling as a player, there’s nothing too much about it,’’ Gatland junior said.
‘‘Most of our chats are just how he’s been going over in the UK and if he’s all good. It’s been pretty lighthearted stuff.
‘‘I knew that [him coaching me] was always coming at some point. So until that time comes I’m just going to focus on this year and see how that rolls out.’’
And it’s been quite the ride for Gatland so far. After getting first crack at the No 10 jersey for the opening two games, he was then left out of the 23 for the next three as Kaleb Trask returned from a knee injury.
Gatland had been neither stunning nor shocking, but those few weeks out would have required some backbone, having to watch his now winning team from the sidelines.
A big sigh of relief would have come, then, when he found himself with a bench role for the game against the Crusaders in Hamilton, and in a role reversal to previously, he ended up being the man to close things out from first-five, with McKenzie having started there then moved to fullback. Gatland did a superb
‘It’s bloody exciting that we are in the final and a chance to win the thing, especially after a tough start.’ BRYN GATLAND
job of it, his ability to take control from first phase and direct a team around the park coming to the fore to lead the Chiefs to yet another important victory. He said with a bench role, particularly, it was important ‘‘to understand what your job may or may not be’’ and he was happy to have proved his adaptability.
Nothing beats starting, though, and a week later against the Hurricanes he was back at 10 with a point to prove.
‘‘I was really excited to get an opportunity to start again and build some minutes.
‘‘I didn’t have a great first five minutes, but I came back from that, and that’s the kind of player that I want to be. I know I can perform at that level and hopefully I get an opportunity again in the coming weeks.’’
His hour’s work was capped off with a vital try early in the second half, and it gave a glimpse into some X-factor Gatland offers in his game, besides the likes of his renowned tactical kicking. His post-lineout flykick was a thing of great skill, before a fine sidestep saw him dive over.
‘‘It was a bit of a flukey one, I think a few soccer skills there, but it popped up and luckily we got the scrum,’’ he said in playing it down.
‘‘It was a bit messy actually, then all of a sudden there was just a big gap in front of me, so I just had to pin it to the line, and luckily got there. But it was an awesome feeling getting my first points for the Chiefs, and my first try.’’
And while McKenzie has been the clutch man to ice each of the Chiefs’ thrilling victories, don’t for a moment think Gatland would hesitate wanting to be the one stepping up to the kicking tee for those huge plays either.
‘‘He’s had some pretty big moments, which is awesome for him, and awesome for our team.
‘‘Obviously us goalkickers, we all love to be in those moments. The other three of us in the team that are goalkickers would have been keen to have a crack at that as well.’’
That there is a man more than keen to seize the moment, in this make-or-break career move.