Gatland to remain Wales head coach to 2019

[Rich Taff]

Nothing to do with that tbh, wasn't even in my thought process. Look, how many games in a row is it now? The SH teams seems very able to deal with Wales' current game plan. Gatland, on the basis of recent selections, doesn't appear to want to alter this game plan. Therefore it seems unlikely that Wales are going to start winning regularly against South Hemisphere opposition, which seriously damages any hopes Wales are harboring of challenging for the next world cup.

Most Irish people can speak with some experience on the subject too. Giving a big contract to a coach in an ever evolving game is a highly risky move.

Ah, ok. I assumed the normal Bodsteria.

I think Gats has done brilliantly with what he has to work with. The Welsh Fly half factory was shut down by health and safety, so now we produce more solid, larger, safer units. We still have a very small playerbase compared to most countries, and it seems to work (but we still suffer badly mentally), and with injuries. I have no doubt that a full strength Welsh team would have beaten the Ozzies, but we ran out of centres. (I had to turn down the call up as, although I had it written into my contract, If I'd played my mates would have been fined for letting me play a game outside the IRB window. I pointed out my grandfather was English, and they said I could play for England, but I'm no Dewi Morris )

 

[profitius]

Warren Gatland expects end of Wales stars moving to France

Wales coach Warren Gatland has predicted the exodus of star players to France will go into reverse.
Seven of Wales' top players are committed to be in France from 2014 and several more are tipped to join them.
But Gatland believes "France isn't going to be a long-term problem" because off-field support and standards do not match those in Wales.
"I think you'll find a lot of those players will go to France for a year or two and then come back," he added.

After being sacked by Bayonne in October, scrum-half Mike Phillips recently joined Wales and British and Irish Lions colleagues Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate at Racing Metro.
Fly-half James Hook and lock Luke Charteris are at Perpignan.
And centre Jonathan Davies and lock Ian Evans will join Clermont Auvergne and Toulon respectively at the end of the 2013-14 season.
Prop Adam Jones, lock Alun Wyn Jones, flanker and captain Sam Warburton and full-back Leigh Halfpenny are also tipped to leave their Welsh regions with French clubs linked to all four.
The moves and speculation over others have come amid on-going uncertainty surrounding the future of regions Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons.
Scarlets lost wing George North to Aviva Premiership side Northampton ahead of the current campaign.
And Gatland says as long as players follow North's example by negotiating release clauses for all Wales playing and training duties, he will not be unduly concerned by their absences from the Welsh domestic scene.
He added: "The information coming back to us from players is yes, the money's great.
"But everything else is a long way behind what they can get provided here in Wales in terms of medical stuff, strength and conditioning, length of season, time off in the off-season, quality of coaching and support stuff.
"So I think you'll find a lot of those players will go to France for a year or two and then make the decision to come back."

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/25410394


I think he is being overly optimistic there.

 

[Maverick1987]

Ah, ok. I assumed the normal Bodsteria.

I think Gats has done brilliantly with what he has to work with. The Welsh Fly half factory was shut down by health and safety, so now we produce more solid, larger, safer units. We still have a very small playerbase compared to most countries, and it seems to work (but we still suffer badly mentally), and with injuries. I have no doubt that a full strength Welsh team would have beaten the Ozzies, but we ran out of centres. (I had to turn down the call up as, although I had it written into my contract, If I'd played my mates would have been fined for letting me play a game outside the IRB window. I pointed out my grandfather was English, and they said I could play for England, but I'm no Dewi Morris )

The last part of that was the most awesome thing I've ever read lol