Gaul. Warren Gatland ambitious for his comeback: ‘We can do something special’

Again at the helm of Wales, after the dismissal of coach Wayne Pivac, the New Zealander Warren Gatland The (59-year-old) was recruited into his post, this Tuesday, December 13th, and spoke about this new course at the helm of XV du Leek.

The person who coached Wales from 2007 to 2019, and won the 6 Nations Championship 4 times including 3 Grand Slams (2008, 2012 and 2019), has expressed all his ambition to revive a monument in danger, where the Red Devils have accumulated. Only 27.3% of wins in 2022 are losses at home against him Italia And in Georgia.

“The hardest thing is the limited time before the Six Nations Championship”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could win things. I’ve never been afraid of taking a challenge and I think we can do something special,” Gatland said 8 months after the World Cup in France. “Things have changed since I first arrived at the end of the year 2007. Welsh has always had expectations and history. For us as a team, it is about working hard and being prepared to perform well and deliver results.”

Warren Gatland will have to raise the bar for Welsh rugby as quickly as possible, especially as big challenges await him so quickly at the helm of Leek’s XV. “The hardest thing is the limited time before the Six Nations. Facing Ireland first and at home probably isn’t the worst. They’re the best team in the world so you want them at home. If you win that, you have a great chance to make it right,” he commented.

His priority: “Creating an environment with no excuses.”

Wales’ most successful and longest serving coach, ex-Coach and British Lions (2013-2021) will be responsible for Leek’s XV for the 2023 6 Nations Championship and the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, with the possibility of continuing into 2027 until the next World Cup staged in Australia. His first task at the helm of the Red Devils will be to create an environment with a return to culture “without excuses”.

How do you create a no-excuses environment? Roger Lewis and Martin Phillips [anciens directeurs généraux] It gave us the tools to create that environment, so that when players get to camp, we can get the most out of it,” Gatland said. “We’ve been proud of our ability to do that in the past. The challenge is to do it in the coming weeks so that the players are happy to wear this shirt and leave everything on the field in terms of performance and results,” before continuing:

“What are the expectations right now? I probably need a discussion about it, but you always have to believe and dream. I see that success is not always about winning, it is about overcoming. With my upbringing in New Zealand as a Kiwi, we always believed that if you work hard you will get On results – that’s always been my stance and you should never be afraid to take anything.”

About Alun-Wyn Jones, Biggar and Owens: ‘Age is not an issue’

The no-compromise approach he took in his first term earned Wales 2 Grand Slam wins, two World Cup semi-finals as well as a No. 1 spot in the world rankings, for the first time ever. Welsh rugby history, thanks to a record 14 match unbeaten run in its final season (2019). “It’s always fun in Welsh rugby, but you get judged on two things, one of which is the Six Nations Championship,” said Gatland, before continuing.

“Maybe it was a bit up and down, although we could have won a major tournament in 2020. There is no doubt that Covid has had an effect on things in recent years as well. The Six Nations are incredibly important, as in 2020 World Cup. That’s my goal for this year, to put this team through and bid for the 6 Nations and then the World Cup in France.”

Before meeting Ireland he will have to assess his workforce internally and decide on the issue of aging icons such as Alun Wayne Jones, Ken Owens and Dan Biggar. “I haven’t spoken to any of the coaches yet because there was a review process that the WRU is going through and I’m going through that process right now.” “I’ve talked to a number of people and I’m trying to draw conclusions from the discussion I had about whether we stick with everyone or make changes. It’s a work in progress. It’s hard for the people and the roles they’re in, but I have to make sure I’m doing the right thing and making the best decision.” Wells and the team.”

When it comes to players, Warren Gatland doesn’t think “age is the problem.” “It’s more about how you deal with them over the next 10 months. If I think back to 2011, we brought youngsters to the World Cup in New Zealand. It’s to make sure I find the balance. Some of the older players can be important, but you have to do it right.” And making sure that the players can perform,” he said, according to the newspaper guardian.

Was this article helpful to you? Know that you can follow Actu Rugby in space news . In one click, after registering, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.