Gatland’s personal battle in Dublin

Mar 2 2008 by Simon Roberts, Wales On Sunday

WARREN GATLAND’S bitter feud with Eddie O’Sullivan spills over onto the pitch on Saturday – but the new Wales coach is determined it will not detract from the matter in hand.

Gatland takes his Wales side to Croke Park in pursuit of a Triple Crown in his first match against Ireland, the country where he made his name as an international coach.

And, six years after he left the Irish job, Gatland finally locks horns with O’Sullivan – the man he employed and who then replaced him.

Such is the animosity between the pair, they had not met since Gatland’s departure until the recent Six Nations launch in London.

They exchanged pleasantries – nothing more.

But Gatland remains adamant the O’Sullivan factor is a mere sideshow.

“You don’t get caught up in any of that. If you do, you’re not doing your job. It would be a weakness,” he said.

However he tries to play it down, Gatland doesn’t hide his disappointment at the way his three-year-stint in Ireland ended when his contract was not renewed and O’Sullivan was called in to succeed him.

The whole chapter is one of the bitterest in the history of Irish rugby.

It split the rugby community in the Emerald Isle; but even now, Gatland is adamant he has no regrets at appointing the man who would take his place.

“The Irish RFU said to me Eddie was available and it was completely my decision to appoint him,” said Gatland.

“The number of people who said, ‘don’t touch him’, ‘don’t go anywhere near him’, ‘don’t touch him with a barge pole’, was huge. But you have to back your own judgement about people and their ability. I did that and sometimes in life you get burned.

“I have always tried to be true to myself and I don’t regret appointing him.”

Gatland’s attitude is typical of any New Zealander.

He doesn’t play the blame-game or do regrets, but in Ireland he is now seen very much in the same way Steve Hansen is seen in Wales.

Both are credited with laying the foundations for future success.

Ireland had narrowly lost to the All Blacks in Gatland’s last game in charge, making the whole incident even more surprising.

“I was massively disappointed because I thought I had done a good job,” said Gatland.

“I had won nine of the last 11 games in charge.

“My contract was up and I was called to a meeting with Eddie Coleman, the IRFU chairman, and Phillip Brown, the chief executive.

“It was, ‘Warren, thanks very much for what you’ve done for Irish rugby. We are not renewing your contract’.” As Gatland left, O’Sullivan drove in for the meeting which ended with him unveiled as the new Irish coach.

“I was disappointed because I wanted to take the team on to the 2003 World Cup,” said Gatland.

“But, saying that now, I would never have gone to Wasps, never coached in Guinness Premiership or won the Heineken Cup or returned home to Waikato and ended up in Wales.

“I am a big believer in ‘what will be, will be’.”

Since taking charge, O’Sullivan has seen his side win two Triple Crowns.

Whether Gatland could have equalled that or bettered it is a moot point, although the New Zealander’s rugby CV is awash with silverware.

But he does take a thinly-veiled swipe at the idea that O’Sullivan played a key role in the Irish rugby revival.

“It’s funny that a lot of the credit for the success was down to the fact Eddie had come on board,” said Gatland.

“I have always acknowledged that he is a fine coach and had a lot to offer.”

That’s about as far as Gatland will go and he appears determined to keep any animosity he has for O’Sullivan to himself.

“I don’t have a rugby CV, I have never applied for a job and I am proud of that,” said Gatland. “And I won’t let the disappointment of what happened affect a big positive experience for me. I have a lot of friends in Ireland and the Irish public were magnificent.”

But ask the new Wales coach, who has a remarkable three wins out of three record, what he learned from his time in Ireland, and the answer tells you everything you need to know about the ‘O’Sullivan experience’.

“I learned, at Wasps, Waikato and now here in Wales, how lucky I have been to have a group of coaches who challenge and push each other, but who are incredibly loyally to me,” said Gatland.

“For me, loyalty is the key now. I want to be challenged and have disagreements, but we have to back each other.”

Enough said.

Gatland has been back to Dublin since he lost his job with Ireland and he readily admits his return to the Emerald Isle with Wasps to face Munster in the Heineken Cup semi-final in 2004 was an emotional one.

“That was the big one,” said Gatland. “The players like Lawrence Dallaglio, got quite emotional about the whole thing and we were too emotional on the field.

“We gave away a lot of penalties, but it was a special day for me.

“After we’d won the boys opened the door to the changing room and they were all singing, ‘there is only one Warren Gatland’.

“It’s not my style to get caught up in all that, but there were a few tears.

“Lawrence made the point that he felt I had been shafted by the IRFU and that it was payback for that.

“I never got involved in that because it wasn’t about that.

“I just wanted the performance and the result and wanted to be able to walk out of Lansdowne Road with my head held high.”

Gatland did that. He is also quick to admit the Welsh Rugby Union have shown their faith in him.

“The Irish contract was only ever short-term and you need security,” said Gatland.

“I never felt there was 100 per cent support, while in Wales I have a four-year-contract and been supported.

“It means you can be confident in your decision-making.”

While Gatland knows his personal duel with O’Sullivan is the sub-plot for next weekend, he is focused on what a win would do for Wales’ title aspirations.

“Now we know we have a chance of having a pretty good season,” said Gatland.

“No matter what happens, the championship will come down to the French game.

“As long as we don’t get hammered in Dublin, we have to beat France and then the points difference will be enough to win the championship.

“We know that is a possibility, but there is also the chance of Grand Slam and a Triple Crown.

“There is a lot at stake, we know we are in the box seat and we have to accept that responsibility and the players have to produce the goods.”