I’m out.. I hated this tour
RUGBY Gatland’s parting shot to the Lions GAFFER’S BITTER END
WARREN GATLAND brought an abrupt end to his Lions career last night, saying: “I’m done – I hated the New Zealand tour.”
The 54-year-old, the most successful Lions coach of rugby’s professional era, masterminded victory over Australia in 2013 and a draw with the All Blacks this summer.
Yet his love affair with the Lions cooled during the three-Test tour of his homeland where he was subjected to fierce and personal criticism in the local media.
Gatland revealed the final straw was Lions star Sean O’Brien publicly slating the management last month by saying the team could have whitewashed the world champs 3-0 had they been better coached.
Gatland said: “I wouldn’t subject myself to another tour. I’m done. I hated the tour. I hated the press and the negativity in New Zealand.
“And I have to be honest, what Sean O’Brien said took a bit of the gloss off the achievement.
“To watch the coaches and backroom staff work their absolute bollocks off on that tour then have someone come out and make a comment like that … it really hurt.
“I thought his comments were disrespectful to New Zealand, saying that we should have comfortably won the series 3-0.
“I don’t know what planet he’s on but I was on a different tour to him if he thought we should have won comfortably.”
Gatland, who was particularly upset that O’Brien chose to single out attack coach Rob Howley for criticism, phoned the Ireland flanker for an explanation.
He said: “I left a message to say I was disappointed. He texted me three weeks later to say he had just cleared his voicemail and that he had been taken out context. I texted back to say he could call me at any time. I’ve not heard back from him.”
It was put to Gatland that injured England star Billy Vunipola also said the Lions could have won 3-0 – had Eddie Jones been in charge.
Gatland said: “That’s also disappointing. When you get people coming in second hand and making comments.
“When you reflect back on it, it was some achievement with the quality of the opposition. No one in the history of the game has ever taken on a tour of that magnitude or difficulty.
“Did we learn as coaches from that experience? Would we have done some things differently? Of course. That’s part of coaching.
“My experience with the Lions is that all the pressure is on the head coach. So next time let someone else do it.”