Gatland: Prepare for Twickers bloodbath

Jan 27 2008 by Simon Roberts, Wales On Sunday

WARREN GATLAND clearly doesn’t believe in taking any prisoners.

The new Wales coach has issued a chilling message to his players ahead of the Six Nations opener against arch-rivals England.

The tough-talking New Zealander wants his first Wales side to be prepared to spill blood and refuse to be bullied by the English juggernaut at Fortress Twickenham, next weekend.

Gatland, who knows Wales haven’t won at HQ since 1988, wants his side to take the World Cup finalists on physically.

“We will know where we are after the first game,” said Gatland.

“We are going there prepared for a bloodbath. We don’t mind turning it into one and we have to be as physical as we can against England.”

The new Wales coach’s call to arms underlines a very different approach to the ‘Welsh Way’ under his predecessor Gareth Jenkins.

It also reveals a complete departure from the high-risk, high-reward approach, which saw Wales win the Grand Slam in 2005. He is confident that Wales do have the physical firepower to take on the English in their own backyard.

“I don’t have any worries that we cannot compete physically with England,” said Gatland.

“We have got some raw material to work with.

“We have some big, physical players, like Ryan Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Gareth Delve, Alun Wyn-Jones and Ian Evans – and they are only going to get bigger.”

Gatland also gave a clear indication that he will not be adopting Wales’ Grand Slam-style of play while he is in charge.

“The Grand Slam team was three years ago and the game has changed,” said Gatland.

“We want to score tries but we have to get the balance right, and that means our set-pieces and collision areas are good.

“If we get those right, we can play whatever game we want to play.

“We have to be smart and the regions have played some very smart rugby.”

Gatland admits the opening game of any tournament is vital and knows a good start would put Wales in a favourable position for the rest of the Six Nations campaign.

“We are going to know where we are after that game,” said Gatland.

“The next two games are against Scotland and Italy, which are hugely important for us.

“But if we get something out of the England game and then perform in the next two games we have a real opportunity in this tournament.

“If you lose the first one, or one of the next two, you are trying to dig yourself out of a hole.”

The New Zealander, who has coached in Ireland, with Wasps and Waikato, has been a success everywhere he has operated.

He knows the Welsh rugby public have unrealistic expectations but he is confident that, in the long term, he can have an impact on Welsh rugby.

“I think I can make a difference,” said Gatland. “The boys were really disappointed with the World Cup and the Six Nations. We are 10th in the world and the only way is up.

“It’s not a position we should be in and the focus over the next 12 months is to earn some respect for Welsh rugby.

“That is responsibility of the players and myself.”

Gatland, though, now finds himself at the centre of the storm once more.

For three years, he coached Ireland in the tournament between 1998 and 2001, before he lost his job.

He joined Wasps when they were bottom of the Guinness Premiership in 2002 and three Guinness Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup later he had returned to New Zealand.

Gatland then carried on his success and won the NPC title with Waikato before he was head-hunted by Wales.

He is confident he is a much better coach than when he first coached in the UK.

“I was 34 years of age when I started coaching Ireland,” said Gatland.

“The situation was pretty similar. I was Ireland’s ninth coach in the nineties and I am Wales sixth in the same number of years.

“My time in Ireland really improved me as a coach and 10 years on from that I know I am a better coach, again.

“I know it’s not going to happen overnight but we will make some progress here.”

So, how different is he from his time in charge of Ireland?

“I have an insatiable appetite for knowledge,” said Gatland.

“The game is changing all the time, you have to keep up with the trends, challenge people around you and be challenged, too.

“You have to be innovative and be prepared to steal ideas from other people, too.

“You always need your players to challenge you and question what you do. That keeps you honest.

“If you are honest and you work hard, you will be surprised how players respond to that.”

Gatland may be looking forward to dipping his toe into the Six Nations again after his experiences with Ireland but he still knows what he wants from the tournament.

“This isn’t just a rugby tournament, it’s an event,” said Gatland.

“I think it’s the premier rugby tournament in the world. The history behind it is huge.

“Test match day in the Six Nations is very special, especially if you get a win.”