Warren Gatland: All Blacks Tests may give Irish an edge

Warren Gatland has admitted that Irish players have an advantage in terms of earning selection for next summer's Lions tour to New Zealand by having two games against the All Blacks this November.

Noting that the All Blacks’ only other games on their end-of-season European tour are against France and Italy, Gatland agreed that opportunity knocks for the Irish players. “Absolutely, and twice as well – the game on November 5th in Chicago and then a couple of weeks later back in Dublin. So, there’s a big chance for them having two cracks at them.”

November window

The November window and particularly the

Six Nations

(when he hopes to spend a day in camp with each home union) will have the primary bearing when it comes to finalising a playing squad of around 37 to 40 players, although club form towards the end of the season would also be important for some players.

Augmenting his remarks that England are currently the leading side of the home unions, he said the squad would “be selected on merit. If that means 25 Englishmen and two Welshmen, then that will be the best squad.”

Although he added that there would be a lot of water under the bridge between now and the selection.

Gatland said he would spend the next few months sounding out prospective coaches on their interest in becoming part of the Lions coaching team. He said this would be about striking the right balance between “some continuity” and “some freshness”. Although it was “not a set and fast rule”, it was preferable that those on the Lions coaching ticket “are staying on in the northern hemisphere”.

While citing how being a Lions coach tends not to do much for one’s career prospects thereafter, and admitting this was a daunting assignment, Gatland said it was simply an opportunity that was too good to turn down, and refused to concede that it was mission impossible.

Describing himself as the eternal optimist, he cites the quality of players who are potentially available and said he wouldn’t be taking the job if he didn’t think the Lions could win.

Back yard

“We know how hard it is, because every four years you’re playing normally one of the top three teams in the world, in their own back yard, with a squad that’s coming together from four nations with limited preparation. The odds are hugely stacked against us, but if you go there and be successful and play some good rugby, then I think that’s the important thing.”

Nor did he appear to be indulging in gamesmanship when welcoming the decision by the All Blacks management to make their players available to the five super rugby franchises, who will all play the tourists, as well as to the Maori All Blacks.

“When I heard that I thought that was the best thing because when I go back to 2009 we came into the first Test under-cooked. The South Africans had pulled their [Test] players out [of the provincial games] and we won those games too comfortably and thought we were in good shape. We were a bit under-cooked for that first Test.

“With the Lions, it’s all about the Test series,” added Gatland, recalling how they lost provincial games in 1997 in South Africa and in 2013 in Australia, but won the Test series, and in particular he mentioned the 14-12 defeat to the Brumbies in Canberra on the Tuesday before the first Test.

“We needed to protect the players before that first Test, and we probably didn’t put out as strong a side as we could have,” he admitted. “We could have put out a stronger side and won that game.

“In Australia, not all the games were as competitive as you would have liked but we’re definitely going to get that in New Zealand. So you’re not going to be underdone. You’re going to be playing against the best players. I think we’re going to be battle-hardened and ready for the first Test. I think the fact that you’re playing Super Rugby sides, the Maori All Blacks and playing the best players available is, I think, absolutely brilliant.”

Hardest game

With all of that in mind, Gatland ventured that the hardest game of the tour, in terms of protecting The Text XV, would be the game against the Waikato Chiefs on the Tuesday before the first Test. To that end, he’s admitted that he has already spoken to the Lions board about again parachuting players in from the various home union tours – Wales in the Pacific Islands, Scotland in Australia, England in Argentina and Ireland in Japan.