Gatland unfazed by rising tempers
Warren Gatland claims he isn’t too bothered when he sees the fur fly at trainings.
While counterpart Steve Hansen rejected Sean Fitzpatrick’s statement that there had been scuffles among All Blacks players ahead of the third and deciding test at Eden Park, British and Irish Lions coach Gatland acknowledged that tempers had flared among his squad members.
Fists didn’t fly said Gatland, who had named an unchanged team from the one that upset the All Blacks 24-21 in the second test in Wellington last weekend, but he confirmed there was some hissing and spitting.
A grim-faced Gatland, who rarely broke into a smile during a 30-minute press conference yesterday, defended his decision to take his squad to the resort town of Queenstown earlier this week and then revealed the rising tension ahead of the game in Auckland had led to some heated exchanges at practices.
‘‘I always get questioned about everything,’’ Gatland lamented when asked about the excursion to Queenstown.
‘‘It is not unusual for people to have a pop at me and question things. We had a pretty tasty session [at training]. There were verbals, it was a bit testy.
‘‘Obviously, everyone is pretty aware how important the game is, but it is about having emotional control isn’t it?
‘‘You want to take it to the edge, but you don’t want to go over the top as well.’’
Blowing up at Eden Park, a venue where the All Blacks have not lost since 1994, could have disastrous consequences for both teams.
The All Blacks learned that the hard way in Wellington when midfielder Sonny Bill Williams was red-carded for jamming his shoulder into the head of Anthony Watson, while the Lions were without prop Mako Vunipola for 10 minutes following his crude shot on Beauden Barrett.
For sure, Gatland wants his team to reduce their penalty count. The Lions conceded 13 against the Lions, Barrett had 10 shots at goal and converted seven of them.
Vunipola also got penalised for a late charge on Barrett in a separate incident, but Gatland said All Black Codie Taylor executed a similar deed minutes prior and wasn’t punished.
‘‘There were dumber penalties given away in the game by other players, so those are the ones that are avoidable,’’ Gatland stated. ‘‘I just think there were a couple of times when Mako was unlucky.’’
If Gatland, whose contract with Wales expires after the World Cup in 2019, can guide the Lions to an historic series win over the All Blacks, he could slap a gold star beside that fact when presenting his CV to his next employer.
There is no doubt it would ensure he could present a compelling case if he elected to apply for the All Blacks coaching job when Hansen retires after the global tournament.
NZ Rugby boss Steve Tew had already stated there is no reason why Gatland could not be considered for the position after Hansen left.
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster, who has been working under Hansen since 2012, has already indicated he may be interested in applying when the role becomes vacant but there is potential for Gatland to join a host of other Kiwis who are coaching in the northern hemisphere to have a crack.
He indicated he hadn’t yet thought about his plans after finishing with Wales, saying he may elect to down tools and walk away from rugby.
Beating the All Blacks would not be career-defining, he emphasised.
‘‘Not at all. I am pretty happy with what I have achieved in my career. In 2019 I will probably finish up after the World Cup and go to the beach, and maybe retire and enjoy myself.
‘‘It is definitely not career-defining, I can promise you that.’’