Gatland could stay on for Oz
WARREN GATLAND left the door open to one more Lions tour as he boarded a flight home to New Zealand.
The Kiwi will return home to his job with the Chiefs today but so far has no plans beyond 2023.
Asked if he would like to be head coach of the Lions for a fourth time, on the 2025 tour of Australia, he said: ‘It’s something that I’ll reflect on. I’m incredibly proud of my involvement and I’ve been very, very fortunate.
‘I’m very passionate about the Lions. I fly back to New Zealand and start thinking about my role with the Chiefs. It’s a long flight and then 14 days’ isolation in a hotel. It’s going to be tough having been in isolation already for the last eight weeks, so there’s another challenging couple of weeks ahead.
‘And I think that time on my own will be a good chance to think what the next chapter of my life is going to be. I’m not someone who plans too far ahead, I’m a great believer in what will be, will be. Other things will be on the horizon, and other opportunities. What they will be, I’m not sure. I haven’t got any long-term plans, so it’s just a bit of wait and see.
‘The thing about Lions tours is that they’re so intensive, not just for the players. Everyone needs a little bit of a break to refresh and to clear the minds and start thinking about what’s next.’
Gatland will hold a tour debrief with the Lions powerbrokers over the coming weeks. Once again, he will reiterate the need for more preparation time for the long tour.
‘It’s a common theme,’ he added. ‘I’ve been continually saying it. Hopefully in the next six months they can iron that out and we can get the schedule for four years’ time tidied up in terms of when finals are on, so that you can get the whole squad together for a couple of weeks before you go on tour. That would make a lot of difference in terms of helping preparation.’
Looking ahead to the future, Gatland also tipped unused fly-half Marcus Smith to take on a starring role with England.
‘I think Marcus Smith is going to be superstar in the game,’ said Gatland. ‘He’s incredibly talented. I think that if he was with one of the other home nations he’d definitely have been playing international rugby by now.
‘Hopefully he gets that chance going forward because he has definitely got an incredible amount of talent.’