SIX NATIONS Genius of Gatland
WALES STARS SALUTE THEIR GRAND SLAM SUPER COACH
WHEN Warren Gatland answered his first question after Wales had won their Grand Slam against Ireland, he insisted: ‘It is not about me, it is about those players.’
The question was about him making history — the first coach to complete three clean sweeps — and what that meant.
Immediately, he deflected the praise away. It was the only thing Gatland got wrong all day.
When it comes to Wales and their rugby team, the wins they have had and the glory they have delivered in recent times, it is all about Gatland.
The fact that Wales, now with four Grand Slams and another Championship win since 2000, are now the most successful team in this expanded tournament is almost entirely the New Zealander’s doing.
Gatland the galvaniser, Gatland the great.
‘I don’t want to be too romantic about it,’ said his captain Alun Wyn Jones.
‘He’s been pretty prolific not just with Wales but with the other red jersey as well.
‘When you have someone who is so confident at the top of the tree, that filters down and it’s hard to ignore.
‘It’s easy to say off the back of the win but we’ve also come under pressure over the years.
‘We’ve had good performances and wins we’ve had our backs against the wall. It takes a certain type of character to be able to come through the mire.
‘He’s got a bit left on his contract so he can’t take his foot off the gas but his record speaks for itself.’
Of course, he told everyone this was going to happen.
‘Beat France and I think we’ll win the Grand Slam,’ he said with a smile before the tournament.
‘It’s nice when my predictions come true!’ he said after it.
Justin Tipuric paid his tribute to the boss. ‘He has confidence in the boys,’ the flanker said. ‘He plays a lot of mind games with the media and coaches, but the one way to sum him up, he knows how to win.’
Adam Beard, Ross Moriarty, Gareth Anscombe, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams — these are not players likely to make many people’s World XV — but in that team, in that stadium, wearing that shirt, with that coach they have become unstoppable, unbeatable.
That is the Gatland effect. In the Grand Slam game, Beard — part of the Ospreys who lose more than they win — became Mr Tickle, his arms extending through the mauls to pilfer vital balls, Moriarty — who with the Dragons has barely an idea what winning feels like — was the masher, Anscombe played like Dan Carter and Parkes like Brian O’Driscoll.
Those latter two combined for the first try a few seconds into the second minute. Anscombe’s audacious chip found Parkes who scored.
In red, Gatland’s guys become supermen.
It is Shaun Edwards who sets the emotional tone, who runs the walllike defence and is the best assistant coach in rugby union.
But it is Gatland who is the lightning rod for the whole thing.
Him, and his skipper. If there was any question that Alun Wyn Jones was a Welsh great, then this season has propelled him to the pantheon. Now 33 and 125 caps deep into his Wales career he has won a third Grand Slam. Only six others have achieved that.
‘He has to be one of the greats,’ said Parkes.
‘He’s the leader, he’s the one you look to, he’s the one who steps up week in, week out. Every game he puts in a performance.
‘He is a very nice man as well, that must be said, a very humble man. But what a leader, what a captain. What a bloke.’
Soon, Wales will be shorn of their great twin talents. Wales must enjoy Gatland and Jones while they can.
What about the World Cup? ‘We’ll be in great shape,’ said Gatland.
With him in charge, of course they will be. WALES: L Williams 8; North 5 (Biggar 9min, 7), J Davies 7.5, Parkes 8 (Watkin 71), Adams 7; Anscombe 9, G Davies 6 (A Davies 57, 6); R Evans 7 (Smith 54, 7), Owens 7.5 (Dee 61, 7), Francis 7.5 (Lewis 54, 6), Beard 8 (Ball 71),
AW JONES 9, Navidi 7.5, Tipuric 7, Moriarty 8 (Wainwright 71, 6). IRELAND: Kearney 5 (Larmour 65, 7), Earls 5, Ringrose 5, Aki 6, Stockdale 6, Sexton 3 (Carty 73), Murray 4 (Marmion 71); Healy 5 (Kilcoyne 59,6), Best 5 (Scannell 65, 6), Furlong 6 (Porter 65, 5), Beirne 7 (Roux 59, 5), Ryan 6, O’Mahony 6, O’Brien 4 (Conan 52, 5), Stander 4. Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus) 6.
Attendance: 74,500.