Don’t expect miracles immediately, says Gatland
The 44-year-old New Zealander — an ex-All Black hooker — will officially take charge on December 1, having agreed a four-year contract understood to be worth more than £1 million.
Gatland’s reign will incorporate Wales’ 2011 World Cup challenge in his native country.
He becomes Wales’ third Kiwi coach of rugby’s professional era, following Graham Henry and Steve Hansen.
Former Ireland boss Gatland, who led Wasps to a hat-trick of Premiership titles from 2003 to 2005 and landed Heineken Cup glory with the Londoners in 2004, succeeds Gareth Jenkins.
Jenkins was sacked in September following a dismal World Cup campaign when Wales failed to progress beyond the pool stage, losing their final game against Fiji in Nantes.
And Wales have recruited Gatland, who Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) group chief executive Roger Lewis insists was the first-choice candidate, despite the Springboks’ World Cup winner Jake White and New Zealander Robbie Deans also being linked with the post.
Gatland has already met caretaker Wales coach Nigel Davies, who takes charge of the one-off Test against South Africa in Cardiff on November 24, and one of his early tasks will be to assemble a high-class support team.
Wasps coach Shaun Edwards and renowned fitness expert Craig White are among the names being linked with Gatland’s Wales. The opening game of Gatland’s tenure will be against World Cup finalists England at Twickenham on February 2 when this season’s RBS Six Nations Championship kicks off.
Gatland said: “I know the pressures and expectations. But this was an opportunity and a challenge I couldn’t walk away from.
“As a coach, you always want to coach at the highest level, and I have got that chance again.
“I am asking people not to expect miracles from day one. It is going to take a little bit of time, putting things in place.
“Being 10th in the world is too low a ranking, and I intend to try and improve that.”
Gatland’s appointment — the worst-kept secret in world rugby — came after detailed talks between himself and a three-man WRU team of Lewis, chairman David Pickering and board member Gerald Davies.
But the identity of Gatland’s support staff is already a matter of debate, with speculation surrounding Edwards.
Gatland added: “There is no secret myself and Shaun have had a good working relationship in the past, but as to whether that may go further or not I can’t answer that question.
“We are going to see what happens in the South Africa game. I need to sit down with all the guys involved and talk with them.
“We will work through who are going to be the best people involved, going forward. I am very conscious to make sure there are Welsh people involved.
“This is not about me surrounding myself with a team of foreign people and walking away when it is all over. I want to leave something behind.”
As for the players, Gatland spoke of “a clean slate for everybody”.
However, he revealed his admiration for brilliant Wales prospect James Hook.
Gatland, after watching weekend Heineken Cup games involving the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues, will return home before heading back to Wales later this month.
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