Land of the Long White Cloud Lures Gatland Home

Winning Ways
By Barney Burnham
February 10 2005

So - the worst-kept secret in club rugby is a secret no more. Many people have known for months that Warren Gatland probably would be leaving at the end of this season.

When I interviewed him, back in August, I asked him about last summer's press reports (from New Zealand) that he would be going back to the Land of the Long White Cloud. He said "Yes, this definitely will be my last season with Wasps!" I was rather surprised, and thought he was joking - particularly when he then went on to qualify what he'd said.

By the time we went to Biarritz, last month, those close to him were confirming his departure. Now comes the official confirmation. Unwelcome news, but hardly surprising.

It's only three years since the former All Black hooker (plenty of splinters in the bum, but no caps) joined what was, at the time, a struggling club.

He'd worked wonders with Ireland, inspiring a win which denied England a Grand Slam, in the autumn of 2001. He'd nurtured the dazzling talents of Brian O'Driscoll, and helped develop a new attitude in the Irish game. No longer did they play like madmen for 20 minutes, before running out of steam. His hard-nosed Kiwi approach had them thinking professionally.

His reward was to be stabbed in the back, in a deplorable example of rugby's less savoury, political side. To his great credit, he has remained silent about his true feelings, but that sacking left a nasty taste in the mouth. It should help sell the autobiography.

Ireland's loss was our gain. He joined us, as a forwards coach, early in 2002, when a crippling injury list saw us anchored to the bottom of the Premiership table. Within weeks, Nigel Melville's departure to Gloucester saw him elevated to the post of Director Rugby. The rest, as they say, is history.

It's interesting to read his programme notes, in his first home game in charge.

"One of the reasons I wanted to come here was the potential of the squad. I saw where they should be and it wasn't at the bottom end of the table.

"Someone gave me this analogy the other day and I think it is very true. Wasps is like a very good formula one car that is not running as smoothly as it should. We are capable of being one of the best, but for various reasons things aren't going well and it is up to me to put these things right."

And put them right he undoubtedly did. Not only did they become one of the best - they became THE best, in a glorious two years, which left the club's supporters wiping their eyes, in euphoric disbelief.

His approach was different from Nigel's. Senior players will tell you that Nigel knew everybody too well, and didn't like to upset people. Gatland's approach was to be honest and truthful, however much it hurt. The players clearly responded to that, and it's clear that they viewed him with respect and affection, in equal measure.

His handling of players has been outstanding. He's actively championed the cause of English rugby. No club can have done more to help the national cause. So much so that, earlier this season, a disgruntled Northampton supporter wrote to their then Director of Rugby, Alan Solomons.

"Like you, I am an SA expat plying my trade in the UK and have followed your succesful coaching career with interest. My allegiance to Western Province and the Springboks has changed over the last twenty years to Wasps and England and I am disturbed by your remarks, as reported in the press, as regards the use or even misuse, of Southern Hemisphere "has-been International mercenaries" eg. Krige, Blowers, etc to bolster Zurich Premiership teams of avoiding relegation, a quick fix of "cheap but solid" players.

You are not doing rugby, and in particular English rugby, any favours by this short term approach, just look at your recent results, a raft of 12 out of 15 foreign Norrthampton players to what result, two wins out of six!!, I rest my case. Wasps last weekend had 12 England qualifiers with Van Gisbergen to qualify shortly as well!.

Warren Gatland has said "Yes, I may be a KIWI but as director of rugby, my job is to ensure Wasps win trophies, and our players are given the opportunity to play for their country".

Your players by contrast are mercenaries, with nothing to play for, exept their pay packets, no chance of playing for a place in the Springbok team or the All Blacks or Wallabies; they so very clearly lack the desire and the motivation to perform week in, week out, to play their guts out for a place for their country, that England qualified players have, and therein lies your dilemma; MOTIVATION!."

That letter was copied to all the Premiership clubs.

Coaches from around the world have visited Twyford Avenue. Leading Rugby League coaches have also turned up, to see Gatland's methods close up. One conspicuous absentee - to Gatland's frustration, and amusement - was a certain Mr. Woodward.

Recently, a top New Zealand coach toured England, coming to Wasps shortly after inspecting Leicester's multi-million pound, state of the art facilities.

His view was that Leicester may have the facilities, but the Wasps methods were light years ahead. Much of the credit for that must go the team Gatland built up around him. He brought with him his former Ireland fitness coach, Craig White. His revolutionary approach to fitness, with each player having meticulously planned individual programmes, soon paid dividends, and became the envy of other clubs.

Amongst the master strokes was the decision to train in bin liners, in the hot weather that preceded the 2003 Zurich Premiership Final against Gloucester. At halftime, with Wasps having already established an unassailable lead, the weary Gloucester players trudged disconsolately from the pitch, to be overtaken by 15 sprinting Wasps. A telling moment.

At times, there has been criticisim of team selection. The Gatland policy of rotating your squad, to ensure that key players are fit for crunch games, has known the odd blip - notably against Pertemps Bees. Was that poor management? The players would probably say that it was their performance which was the problem, and that they had failed to repay his trust in them. But low points like that have been few and far between, in the last three years.

Despite the poker-faced exterior, and the ironic nickname of "Chuckles", Gats is a very funny man. Anyone attending the various supporters' evenings which have taken place during his stay will know that he has a very dry sense of humour.

Those of us lucky enough to socialise with him from time to time have seen even more of that humour. There is always a twinkle in the eye, and a laugh is never far away. I shall always cherish the memory of his reaction to a Polish bartender, who asked him whether he was an entomologist.

On one occasion, I was discussing accents with him, observing that I was now beginning to crack the hitherto impenetrable Wigan brogue of Shaun Edwards. I asked him how he'd coped with Irish accents. With a smirk on his face, he said "I worked wuth Peter Clohessy for three-and-a-half years. "

Pause - then, with exquisite timing:"I niver understood a f*cking word he sid!" Perhaps you had to be there.

Gats says that his decision to return home has been made in the interests of his family. Anyone who has visited New Zealand, and the Waikato in particular, can understand why.

I only spent a few hours in the Waikato, on the final day of a press trip. We had coffee on a farm, set in glorious countryside, with meadows sweeping down to tree-lined rivers, and the owner's young daughter playing happily with the sheep. It was with heavy hearts that we boarded the homeward flight in Auckland, later that day, knowing that the quality of life we'd just seen was far superior to anything London could offer. One of our party emigrated the following year.

There is no doubt that, one day, Gats will become the All Blacks coach. When he does, many of us will be forced to stop supporting New Zealand's opponents!

He has always said that, when he leaves, he wants to his longterm legacy to be a structure which enables Wasps to continue to flourish. Few can deny that he has done that. His eagerness to give young players a chance has already ensured that a wealth of exciting young talent is chomping at the bit, waiting for the opportunity to succeed the seasoned veterans now nearing the ends of their careers.

But his legacy goes far beyond that. He has left every Wasps supporter with memories to treasure. Those memories, and our gratitude, will last a lifetime.

His successor - whoever that may be - will have a hard job. How can anyone follow the triumphs of the Gatland era? Who knows? But it will be exciting to find out.

Between now and the end of the season, there is no doubt that the Gatland social calendar will be filled to oveflowing. Everyone connected to the club will want to have their chance to thank him for all that he's done, to take Wasps to the top of European rugby. It will be an emotional time.

Now that his departure is all but official - subject to inevitable confirmation by the board - the players have a great incentive to shake off the woes of the last few weeks, and concentrate on giving him one last hurrah. Another ZP final would be the icing on the cake. It would be wonderful if theTwickenham stands were to echo to the sounds of the old New Zealand song, which the Cardiff crowd used to sing after the Barbarians matches, which traditionally ended tours by the All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks.

" Now is the hour
When we must say goodbye.
Soon you'll be sailing
Far across the sea.
While you're away
Oh, then, remember me.
When you return
You'll find me waiting here. "

Thanks for everything, Gats. You were the best.