Out of the valleys
He’s looking forward to all three, as he tells Brendan O’Brien
LOCATED as it was just a hop from Lansdowne Road, there was a clear sense of an era ending among those in the Irish rugby and soccer fraternities when news of the Berkeley Court Hotel’s recent sale and closure first filtered through.
A favourite watering hole on match days for generations of fans, players, officials and media, Warren Gatland probably didn’t hold view it with any such affection. It was there in late November 2001 that the Kiwi was so unexpectedly relieved of his job as Irish coach.
Walking into the lobby that day, Gatland was expecting an offer of a new contract. Instead, he finds himself taking part in his first international fixture in over seven years at Twickenham this weekend.
Being sacked in Dublin wasn’t the only enforced detour his career has taken. It was the first. Failing to secure that cherished Super 14 head coaching job on his return to New Zealand was another, but he has learned to roll with the punches.
He ended up at Wasps within days of his Irish exit, rewarding the London club’s faith with three Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup in four seasons — a tally made all the more impressive by the fact that his first task was to rescue them from relegation.
A subsequent national provincial title with Waikato added further sparkle and depth to his CV which, added to his days with Ireland, leave him well-equipped for his job with Wales.
“It helps to have been involved in this tournament in the past, just the experience you get, being aware of the intensity, the emotional intensity and the external pressures. If you are aware of them it helps because you are calmer in terms of your situation.
In Wales, Gatland’s abilities — not to mention his patience — could be stretched to the limit by a national side that can win a Grand Slam one year and flit its eyes at the wooden spoon the next.
By dragging Ireland up through the table from fourth, to third and second in his time here he demonstrated how he can improve a product. Wales, despite their myriad problems have the raw materials to scale the heights again.
The ghosts of JPR and the boys still hover over every team that represents the principality; that fondness for eye-popping running rugby is as much a prerequisite for many of the side’s passionate supporters as success itself.
Gatland understands that but, as he said last week, he would rather win ugly than lose 48-46. Combining the pragmatic with the poetic will be a tough balancing act for the new man.
“For me, it’s about getting the basics right. It’s about making sure the scrum and lineout competes, about getting our contact area right. We do that and we have a chance in any game we play.”
Though they finished next to last in the 2007 Six Nations, and departed the World Cup at the pool stages, there have been more recent reasons for cheer with the progress made by the Welsh regions in Europe. Both the Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys negotiated paths to the quarter-finals.
“It’s made a huge difference, having two teams in the quarter-finals. It’s a huge boost for the players. The Ospreys’ performance against Gloucester a few weeks ago was as good a performance as I have seen from a Welsh regional team.
“Okay, a couple of New Zealanders played well in key positions, but a lot of Welsh players stood up. They should have some self-belief and confidence. There has been a genuine buzz in the squad. Hopefully the players can put their World Cup disappointments behind them.”
The true measure of Gatland’s success will be the national side’s results. The early portents are positive, luring Martyn Williams out of international retirement and wooing Shaun Edwards from Wasps. With Rob Howley also taking up employment as backs coach, Gatland has assembled a team with all the right ingredients — pedigree, experience and local knowledge — and the players seem to have bought into their system.
“Warren and Shaun have come in and they are pretty straight-talking,” says new captain Ryan Jones. “They’ve brought with them a winning mentality and are vastly experienced. Rob as well. They have all been there and done it.
“When a new coach comes in the players all try to learn from him. Everyone has something to gain from him. A new coach doesn’t carry any baggage if he doesn’t know any of the players personally. Everything is up for grabs, that’s what he has tried to instil on us in training.”
Gatland’s confidence and appetite for battle was apparent at last week’s tournament launch where he joshed freely with journalists and answered potentially tricky questions, such as his abrupt exit from Ireland and Brian Ashton’s precarious one-year contract, with a straight bat.
Facing Eddie O’Sullivan, who he saw driving into the Berkeley Court seven years ago as he was driving out, will be a day to relish in early March, but his focus for now rests entirely on the opening joust with the English.
He has already won the phoney war between the sides by securing Edwards’ services when the England Saxons job was also on offer to the Wasps man, and he came out the better side of the subsequent public sparring over the appointment with Rob Andrew too.
The RFU’s Elite Rugby Director will be confident of landing his own, heftier, punch this Saturday when Wales visit Twickenham, where they have failed to win in 20 years.
The last time the sides met was in south-west London with England recording a record 62-5 humiliation over their neighbours before a World Cup where the experiences enjoyed by both ended up being similarly divergent in terms of achievements.
Jones dismisses that autumn game as an irrelevance, while his coach is of the opinion that lengthy losing streaks are there merely to be broken.
“I was the coach of Ireland when we went to Paris and Ireland hadn’t won there in 27 years. So, I have been in this situation before and, if it is not on February 2, well it’s one of the things over the next few years you want to say ‘that’s one of the boxes we have ticked off.’”
Ashton may have taken England to the World Cup final late last year but the cagey one-year contract offered him by the RFU since has painted the picture of a coach with one foot out the door.
Gatland is quick to seize the point in the run-up to this weekend.
“I’m trying to get a handle on England. Are they going to play a game that is pre-World Cup in terms of a forward-oriented game or, with Brian being here, do they take a bit more risk and throw the ball around? I’m not too sure what approach they are going to take.
“That must be hard for Brian going forward. He got to the final of a World Cup and the union only give him a one-year contract. Either have the balls to give him a bit longer or get rid of him, if that’s what you really believe in.”
Those last words are delivered softly but, make no mistake, Warren Gatland will always remember the Berkeley Court Hotel.
“Britney has had too much too soon and now everyone’s jumping on her when she’s down. But there are plenty of lads in our squad who are willing to offer a shoulder to cry on.”
“It would have to be one of the smaller players like Shane Williams or Gareth Cooper because then they wouldn’t be much of a fight for leg room and the arm rest.”
“I would go for red every time, at least if I’m wrong then it’s all over in a second.”
“If I had one super power it would have to be invincibility. I’ve been unlucky over the years with injuries and that has kept the number of Wales caps low, so it would be good not to have to worry about that any more.”
“The worst injury I’ve heard of was Joe Worsley having his scrotum ripped open by Jason Leonard. I also saw Olly Barkley take a nasty bang in the same area as well. Very painful.”
“I’m a big fan of sharks so I’d back Jaws every time.” Grand slam in 2005.
Six Nations best:
fifth place, but at least the Welsh were happy their one victory was over England.
Feb 3 v England (away)
Feb 9 v Scotland
Feb 23 v Italy
Mar 8 v Ireland (away)
Mar 15 v France
Warren Gatland (right)
Ryan Jones
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
72,000
L Byrne (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff), T James (Cardiff), M Jones (Llanelli), S Williams (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff), S Parker (Ospreys), G Henson (Ospreys), J Hook (Ospreys), S Jones (Llanelli), D Peel (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys), G Cooper (Gloucester).
G Jenkins (Cardiff), A Jones (Ospreys), D Jones (Ospreys), R Thomas (Newport Gwent Dragons), H Bennett (Ospreys), M Rees (Llanelli), I Evans (Ospreys), I Gough (Ospreys), A Wyn Jones (Ospreys), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Williams (Cardiff), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff), G D Thomas (Gloucester), A Popham (Llanelli), R Jones (Ospreys).
The arrival of Warren Gatland and latterly Shaun Edwards, particularly as the latter turned down England to join the Welsh camp, is a step in the right direction and has prompted Martyn Williams to hold off retirement.
The misery of their exit from the World Cup at the hands of Fiji still haunts.
Raincheck: Dwayne Peel’s shoulder injury leaves Wales without their first choice scrum-half for the opening games
Robin Sowden-Taylor, the heir apparent to Martyn ‘Nugget’ Williams
Gavin Henson, getting back to his best after a post-Lions meltdown.
Gareth Cooper is playing poorly at a time when the No.9 shirt is going begging.
Nimbostratus — stormy weather ahead from these dark, low-level clouds.
Grand Slam: 20/1; Championship: 8/1;Triple Crown: 11/1; Wooden Spoon: 13/2
AFTER their incredible defeat by Fiji, which eliminated Wales from the World Cup at the pool stage, Welsh rugby was once again in disarray. Popular coach Gareth Jenkins was sacked in a car park and a nation was in mourning.
Since then Welsh rugby has slowly dragged itself off the floor with promising performances from Ospreys and Cardiff in the Heineken Cup. The appointment of Warren Gatland looks an astute call and his persuasive powers in attracting Shaun Edwards from Wasps and Martyn Williams out of retirement could yet prove inspired.
Momentum is huge is this tournament and it is vital that Wales start the campaign, if not with a victory in Twickenham where they have not won in twenty years, with at least a decent performance. There after with three home games they have sufficient quality to lay the ghost of Nantes and their defeat to the south sea islanders.
The other key game on the road is against Ireland at Croke Park. Gatland for one will relish that challenge. After winning the grand slam in 2005, Wales have gone into reverse at an astonishing rate. Gatland and his management team have the ability to reverse that trend. Will challenge Ireland for a third place finish.
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