Saturday, February 06, 2010
BRIAN O’DRISCOLL isn’t a man who is normally lost for words, but when asked whether it is harder to retain the Six Nations championship than it is to win it for the first time, he admits he hasn’t a clue. "I haven’t won it before," he laughed, "so how can I know about retaining it? Ask someone who has."
So who better to speak to than Warren Gatland, who 12 months ago was readying his Wales team to defend their Grand Slam title. In the end they came fourth in a tight tournament, losing to France in Paris and in that fateful game against Ireland on the final day.
Gatland admits his side found it difficult to cope with being prime targets thanks to their exploits the previous year, while the likes of Ryan Jones and Shane Williams failed to live up to their billing.
"It’s harder to retain the Six Nations crown, definitely," says Gatland, who coached Ireland between 1998 and 2001. "As defending champions everyone targets you, and there is no better example of that than how France did a lap of honour after beating us last year.
"You wouldn’t have imagined France doing that in the past, and now it’s Ireland’s turn as they will be seen as the team to beat. They go in as favourites, and rightly so as they have two provinces performing extremely well in Europe and have an experienced team full of quality players.
"But they will find it a lot tougher this year. They won’t catch anyone out and have two tough away games against England and France. And we all know that everyone will stand up and take notice of you if you beat Ireland.
"As for Wales, we have to go to Croke Park in March, and we are hoping that game will have a lot on it. Having played three of our five games by then it could well be for the Triple Crown, and hopefully both sides will be going well in the Championship."
So far, so sensible from a man who likes to court controversy. Yet an interview with Gatland wouldn’t be the same without a couple of verbal hand grenades being lobbed around, and the 46-year-old doesn’t disappoint. Kidney may well ask: ‘What does it have to do with you?’, but Gatland believes the so-called Golden Generation of O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara and Paul O’Connell is coming to an end.
"They have to look at the next generation," says Gatland, who selected teenage duo Kristian Phillips and Tom Prydie for his Welsh squad. "The likes of John Hayes, Jerry Flannery, O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan and O’Driscoll are all over 30. They won’t change it over the next 18 months with the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand around the corner, but they need to bring a new crop through."
Yet what of this season’s championship, and what of Wales? T
"Success for us has to be winning the championship," says the 46-year-old. "We’d play badly and win every time. It’s about getting results. We want to play positive, attractive rugby if we can, but results are without a doubt the most important thing.
"And our opening game against England will be crucial. We are hoping it will be the catalyst it was two years ago.
"We will go to Twickenham with the self-belief that we’ll be good enough to win."
© Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 73385.
