Warren Gatland breaks silence after a ‘huge amount of negativity’ resulted in him being the ‘fall guy’
Warren Gatland has opened up on his exit from Welsh Rugby after his second tenure as head coach.
Warren Gatland has broken his silence after leaving his role as Wales head coach, hitting out at the ‘huge amount’ of negativity the squad received.
Gatland and Wales parted ways after the side fell to a record-extending 14th successive defeat as they succumbed 22-15 to Italy in round two of the Six Nations.
He has since been replaced by Cardiff boss Matt Sherratt, who takes on the role on an interim basis as the Welsh Rugby Union look to recruit a full-time replacement.
Gatland speaks out
In a long-ranging interview with the Telegraph looking back at his second tenure as Wales‘ head coach, after he swooped in to lead the team again in 2022, taking them to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, Gatland admitted that he knew the clash against Italy was a ‘must-win’ and had made up his mind on his future before kick off in Rome.
“I understood there were a lot of people saying how important the game is. I was well aware of that,” he told the Telegraph.
“The Friday or the Saturday before the game, I made sort of a decision without thinking too much about it. If we didn’t win that game, then I’d have to seriously consider my position. It would be the best time and the best thing for everyone to walk away.”
Liam Williams’ and Dafydd Jenkins’ withdrawals from the matchday squad did not make Wales’ job any easier against a fired-up Italian side chasing their first-ever back-to-back victories over the Welsh.
After the match, Gatland did not react to the defeat in a manner that he’d usually would to a defeat of this kind as he knew that the squad and staff were ‘hurting’.
“Probably in the past it would have been one of those games where I would have gone absolutely nuts in the change rooms afterwards,” he admitted.
“But the players were hurting. The staff were hurting. We shot ourselves in the foot in terms of some discipline accuracy. The kicking game was poor.
“And you go into a press conference, and you get asked the same questions about whether your heart is still in the job. You are questioning yourself but, of course, you’re never going to deliver a headline quote for someone saying you are.”
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Being the fall guy
The New Zealander has repeatedly hailed the attitude of the Welsh fans and maintains that position as supporters still wished him well for the remainder of the Six Nations at the airport the day after the defeat to the Azzurri.
But he knew that his time was up and conceded that his departure was the best decision for Welsh rugby going forward.
“I’ve always said it’s not about me,” he said. “I’ve loved my time in Wales. There’s been highs and lows. The fans are incredibly passionate.
He added: “It was the best decision for Welsh rugby, first. That was the team first, and then Welsh rugby and then the best decision for me.
“Time to walk away and give everyone a bit of breathing space and for someone else to take over and see if they can have an impact.
“It wasn’t just about taking pressure off the team. It was about taking some pressure off the union, giving them a little bit of breathing space. Giving some of the other coaches some breathing space as well in terms of the pressure. Because everything was directed at me in terms of selection, the way the team was playing, the game plan.
“I’m quite happy to take all of that criticism and then be the fall guy. I think it was the right decision for everybody.”
No one in his corner
While the fans were supportive of him, Gatland feels that the same sentiments were not shared by those in the press including former players.
“I felt there was quite a bit of negativity. Not from the fans, the fans were brilliant,” he added. “I’ve felt a huge amount of negativity in the Welsh press and that just kept weighing down on me. I just kept thinking, ‘Where is someone in my corner or someone fighting a little bit for me?’
“It’s been tough. They [the former players] are trying to find their feet in the game and sometimes you have to be seen to be objective. And by being objective, be critical.
“I look and can say that there’s a number of them that wouldn’t be in the media if they hadn’t played for Wales, or hadn’t played for the Lions, or hadn’t been successful. It’s been a little bit disappointing.”