Cautious: Warren Gatland
British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has said selecting a large group of English players will bring "other pressures."
England are the only unbeaten side in the Six Nations so far, but Gatland believes that selecting a large group will bring extra scrutiny from the media due to previous disagreements between countries and the events England went through at the Rugby World Cup.
"If they do well in the Six Nations, there will be a reasonable contingent of English players. But that brings a certain element of - how do I say it - other pressures that come with selecting a lot of English players," said Gatland to the Evening Standard.
"It becomes a much greater media focus from the English papers; potentially a negative focus from the Australian papers. And English players are targeted by other countries.
"[They are] not always the most popular with other countries because of the history. People like having a pop at them.
"We all know what happened with England at the World Cup and the circus that was created.
"I've just got to be aware of the possibilities that, if there are a number of English players on the tour, the same sort of things could be instigated, through stings through the media or set-ups trying to create controversy.
"These are young men filled up with a lot of testosterone and sometimes they need to go out and just unwind. But it's essential these players know what their boundaries are.
"The way I work, it's not a dictatorship, it's a consultation with the other coaches and senior players or the captain.
"You might say to players, 'Go out for a couple of hours and have a beer and maybe you're back in the hotel by one o'clock', particularly with night games."
Comments
theGadflY says...
this is just plain immature. for whom are u goin to play? for the team or the media?
Posted 04:44 13th February 2013
porridge_time says...
What an effin circus these Lions Tours are!
Posted 04:25 13th February 2013
melkdave says...
Echo others posts,these are outrageous comments coming from the Lions head coach.Welsh,scottish and irish players have all had their troubles with the media Also its part of his management teams job ,to see the media cant get away with stings ect,and that players behave.Its called a code of conduct by most teams ,and any player thinking of breaking it or breaking it should be told ,they will forfit their Lions place .That should keep any player in line ,and behaving.SLand Co do it with England now ,and it works .Lions selections should be on form,only not what counrty you play for full stop.
Posted 02:37 13th February 2013
PatrickH says...
@ pentwynfarm.. yes.
Welsh players are not the only other option btw.
@ general readers..
I think if you read between the lines (considering the hot topic in the British rugby press) this article only says the captain will not be from England.
Posted 01:02 13th February 2013
Cdn_content says...
Agreed silly statement, is setting himself up to select a bunch of welsh boys?
Posted 00:51 13th February 2013
Bish2003 says...
Sad & Shameful considering Gatlands Lions role that hes playing mind games on English players during 6 Nations.
Desperate attempt to help Howley the guy he gave a poison chalice too.
Never rated Gatland and don't respect him.
A Welsh dominated Lions tour destined to fail and his house of welsh cakes soon to crumble
Only Welsh Lions I can see at moment is Leigh Halfpenny he is full of Welsh Hywl and fire.
Posted 23:18 12th February 2013
jmanngod says...
and so he should be. It was English-Player politics and churlishness that prevented a Lions win in Oz back in 2001. Ted went on to prove that by winning everything on offer where as Sir Clive famously was shown as merely the right man in the right place. Gatland should be wary; This English side will implode when there heads reach critical mass.
Posted 22:50 12th February 2013
dalmatian says...
Surely a coaches job is to select the best TEAM available to bet the opposition in front of them. The best team may not necessarily contain the best players. His players need to gel together to be successful so perhaps some very worthy players may miss out. That's the coaches call. He has earned the right to make it.
Posted 22:27 12th February 2013
Ben7 says...
If he doesn't pick a fair amount of english players I hope they lose. He's just anti English, being a kiwi and all, just look at what he says about England's history.
Posted 22:27 12th February 2013
5Lock4ward says...
See what happens when you bring in an outsider and hand him the reigns?
Posted 22:20 12th February 2013
TVaddict says...
He's not saying that English players are less responsible, he's saying that the English press will harass the team more if there are more England players in it. He's also saying that the English are unpopular and I'm guessing he's implying that will give the Australians more incentive to win.
Anyway, it's complete rubbish and it's worrying to be hearing such things coming from the head coach. If he can't handle a bit of media and a bit of pressure then he shouldn't of bothered taking the job. He should pick the best players, regardless of nationality. If by the time the tour comes around the best XV are all Scots then let them all be Scots and I'll still support them as hard. If England win the 6 nations with two English teams in the final of the Heineken cup, well then more than a 'reasonable contingent' will deserve to go.
As it is I'd say (/ means or) Hartley/Youngs, Cole, Parling, Launchbury/Lawes, Wood, Robshaw, Youngs, Care, Farrell, Twelvetrees/Tuilagi, Brown/Goode/Ashton are likely to make it so that's 11 places.
Posted 22:14 12th February 2013
heart_of_oak says...
Frooschman - spot on. But it's just more of the anti England crap that we're all used to, isn't it ? Of course, if Gatland says he didn't select the best player in a given position because that person was English, and if results don't turn out favourably, then this same media will say results could have been better if the best player had been selected. .
Posted 22:14 12th February 2013
Danatthecorner says...
Who else are you going to pick at this rate Warren?
Posted 22:12 12th February 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
Is he saying this with his Lions hat on or his Welsh hat on?
Wrong man for the job if he selects anything other than the best players available to him and wrong man for the job if this is some sort of stir-up for the forthcoming Wales v England fixture. He's either Lions coach or wales coach at the moment - if he feels the need to be both then he's being divisive before he's picked any players.
Posted 20:51 12th February 2013
Startledwombat says...
From the comments below it seems that rugby talent should outweigh the massed barbs of Fleet St.
I'd like to live on that planet. Where do I sign?
Posted 20:49 12th February 2013
chubbylugs says...
gatland has gone way down in my estimation
what he is basically saying is i cant control my players and i cant create the right culture within my squad. that is down to him and his poor management, not individual personalities or nationalities
he's also saying that form has nothing to do with selection, which is utter bull$h!t.
has he waited for wales to win a game before he decided to say this?
Does he not realise that negative aussie press usually means you are doing something right?
Posted 20:45 12th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
I think what he really means is that he doesn't want a bunch of English poofs prancing around in pink shirts and Ray Bans as if they're god's gift to rugby.
Posted 20:04 12th February 2013
gleek says...
I may be cynical but I think Gatland has already picked 30 or so of his touring party before the Six Nations even started. I imagine it was comprised mainly of Welsh players (who are painfully out of form) so he is just getting his excuses in early should England win the Grand Slam.
Most Celts would agree that aside from a very bad apples (and we have plenty of our own), this is one of the most earnest and likeable English sides in many a year.
Posted 20:01 12th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
His main job is to unite 4 nations. He's just carved a huge rift from the outset. Based on complete ignorance. I did not realise he was so so stupid.
Posted 20:00 12th February 2013
Felly says...
Sounds like it is a dictatorship!! Well either that or just plain bigotry. Is this story for real lol?
Posted 19:54 12th February 2013