Gatland has to heed 2005 Slam lessons

Mar 20 2008 by Simon Kendal-Williams, South Wales Echo

MIKE Ruddock today warned Wales coach Warren Gatland to heed the lessons of the shambles that followed his 2005 Grand Slam success, writes Simon Kendal-Williams.

As Wales this week bask in the glory of a second Grand Slam in three years, Ruddock, who quit as coach of his country amid allegations of player-power and in-fighting after the 2005 clean-sweep, has offered a few words of wisdom to Gatland.

Unlike Ruddock, Gatland was allowed to select his own backroom staff by the WRU when he took the job last November, and the influence of defence guru Shaun Edwards and attack coach Rob Howley has been immense in this season’s Grand Slam campaign.

“The most important thing is the head coach has an opportunity to pick his own coaching team,” said Ruddock, who has emerged as one of the early favourites to succeed Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan, who quit yesterday.

“There seems to be harmony now because ultimately the head coach has got the coaches he wants on board to take the team forward.

“What could create difficulty is if it breaks up from within and the coaches don’t pull together – that certainly happened in 2005.

“It’s important for the WRU to nail these guys down for the foreseeable future.

“But I’m sure lessons have been learned.”