HOW GATLAND ANSWERED MY 10 QUESTIONS
In yesterday’s Sportsmail Sir Clive listed 10 questions he wanted Wales coach Warren Gatland to answer ahead of tomorrow’s clash with England. Here are the responses he gave in his press conference...
1 Does a serious run of injuries really bring a squad closer together? things you sometimes do behind closed doors bring a team together. I think I have demonstrated I have had that ability, to get the best out of people.
2 Wales have been playing England for over a century but are World Cup games different? It is another level as there is so much at stake. this is the biggest game we have had in a long, long time and it’s against the old enemy.
3 Just how important is Alun Wyn Jones to your side? He is massive. the way he has matured as a player, he is worldclass. the way he runs the line-out, the leadership he has displayed.
4 You’ve coached George North all through his career. Is he the best wing in world rugby? What he’s achieved at such a young age has been exceptional. I remember seeing him as an 18-year-old and saying: ‘there’s a freakish talent there, we’ve got to cap him as soon as possible!’
5 Wales have only won twice at Twickenham since ’88. Does that weigh heavily or is it a motivation? I won three Premierships and a Heineken Cup there, so I don’t think that’s too bad. My record against England is 5-5, and that’s not bad against the richest, most powerful union in the world.
6 Wales were outstanding at the last World Cup. Does it grate that you have been rewarded with a group as strong as this? When you see the world No 2, No 3 and No 4 in the same group, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
7 Ultimately the referee cost you everything in 2011 with Sam Warburton sent off in the World Cup semi-final — how much evaluation do you do on the ref? We had a meeting in London with coaches and referees which I thought was fantastic. It’s a physical game, but you’ve got to play within the rules as well.
8 How do you rate Sam Burgess? Were you expecting him to line up against you on Saturday? He’s a world-class player. We were expecting them to go with the same 10-12-13 so that threw us for a few days. He’s got inexperience at rugby union, but not big occasions.
9 Has Mike Phillips got one last big game in him? He’s a big-match player, but the hardest thing with him is that he has had 74 minutes of rugby since February.
10 What exactly is Warrenball? Can YOU tell me what it is? there have been a few trophies won by playing it. I don’t know if it’s any one style. A lot of teams are direct. It’s probably a compliment. I think people are jealous that they’ve not had success themselves.