Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Gatland and Umaga square up to media

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland

Warren Gatland bemoans the recurring questions about “Warrenball” while Sonny Bill Williams steps in to deflect attention from Tana Umaga over that infamous Brian O’Driscoll incident in 2005

ADVERTISEMENT

In this age of carefully choreographed press conferences and limited access to players governed by ever increasing media management teams assigned to major rugby outfits, isn’t it encouraging to see that rugby journos can still get under the skin of their interviewees?

Both Umaga and Gatland have been at this game long enough to know the potential problems that can occur when you plonk you derriere down behind a row of microphones and Dictaphones. While the coaches are there to get their message out to the rugby public, the nature of a press conference should always feature an element of danger. If you don’t want to answer the difficult questions then just issue some bland comments by press release or take the Donald Trump option and use a nodding dog spokesperson to field the tough ones.

Umaga has carried the stigma of having been part of an illegal and extremely dangerous tackle on Lions captain O’Driscoll for 12 years and must know it won’t go away while the men in red are in country. What would possess him to believe that such a tour defining moment would slip the memories of any rugby journo worth his salt?

The same is true of Gatland. The accusation that he plays one way – described as Warrenball to save space in newspapers – is an irritation the media have been regularly picking at for years. Now, back in the land of his birth attempting something spectacularly difficult, Gatland finds his every decision picked over and dissected on a daily basis. If anyone knew what was coming his way in New Zealand it was the former Waikato hooker who helped defeat the Lions in 1993.

That is why Sonny Bill’s need to “protect” Umaga from those horrid questions and Gatland’s comment as he ended the presser asking why he has to defend himself over his tactics every time he meets the press says so much more about those two rugby men than the media putting them on the spot.

I have always found Umaga an engaging, quietly spoken genuine bloke but I never felt he was in need of a minder. Gatland has a history of throwing verbal grenades around and standing back to watch the effect on his targets.

ADVERTISEMENT

This week has revealed a vulnerability in both men that will only embolden the media pack who know a good running story when the find one.

Umaga and Gatland have been here before and should have the strength of character and experience to handle the pressure without the need of minders. End of story.

ADVERTISEMENT
LIVE

Australia vs Wales | Women's International

LIVE

Whanganui vs The Classics

Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

Lions Share | Episode 4

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 52 minutes ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Well there’s a couple of distinctions here that are important aren’t there?


First though like I replied to Tk where does it say theres need to test vets, or proven reliable players? It is simply ‘test quality’.


Now, I have created a list that I think is test quality, so all weve got to do is upskill the missing pieces right? No. Razor might not mean to have given every player half a dozen matchs but he will want to have identified and assured himself that each individual is indeed test quality. So yes, plays like Darry and Lord may still be included in a few squads and used so he’s happy to include them as say 5th and 6th ranked locks, but that doesn’t mean he needs to go to the same level to ensure for himself the 7th and 8th ranked locks.


He might be happy basing performances off SR Finals, or organizing an AB XV match against a team like France or SA with similar locking depth (even organizing say Warner Dearns to be part of the Japan XV etc), and I’m sure they’re going to have a very large squad over in South Africa for two months.


I don’t think he is quite in the same predicament as SA to have to rest top stars. And this is obviously just goal setting, they’re supposed to be hard. As you can see by the context around this series, arbitrary targets like everyone getting some minutes are made. That could also simply be how he ensures he has met the 4. So hookers would be ticked, as he’s already used 5 at test level. If you looked at the Baabaas SA game you’d see Beehre performing like an accomplished test player, that already makes 7 locks with more than 2 full seasons to go. You take the point BA was making about Marshalls previous remarks about Razor want players to be able to play 3/4/5 different positions, that would mean if Razor was really happy with Finau at lock last week he already has 8 test quality locks as well, etc, etc.


TLDR sorry for the big reply, it’s just a goal, the teams not going to suddenly fail if he doesn’t reach it, I think theres many means and many players for him to be comfortable in getting 4 in each position. He’s obviously not going to be able to get 4 proven, hardened test players in each by then, no.

136 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Selected Lions star dramatically rules himself out in 'self-less' last-minute call Selected Lions star dramatically rules himself out in 'self-less' last