Interesting graphic on that point
Entire Irish pack played more in last 12 mths than opposite no. 10/15 in total. Of the 5 who didnt Sexton, Henshaw, Earls all injury prone players who missed spells.
Wasnāt what id have expected
12 unbelievable years in charge of Wales
Those players today were moulded in his image
Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, warriors to a man
A credit to the game of rugby union football, to his home province of Waikato and to Wales
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Heād have got Ireland to multiple RWC semi finals if he had not been disgracefully sacked.
A real sliding doors moment for Irish rugby football. What could have been. They must be kicking themselves ditching the greatest coach in world rugby football.
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Did an amazing job with Wales. Future NZ coach?
He underachieved with wales in my opinion. Heās absolutely hated in New Zealand too. Pretty sure theyāve called out his style on multiple times. Heād have to probably coach a super rugby franchise first to have any chance.
A cert
Fucks sake. You really double down on your absolute drivel.
Just because I know more than you donāt get so upset.
Theyād have mixed views on Gatland in Wales. Wales have a very demanding rugby public. They were the preeminent international team in European rugby for the guts of a century up until the early 1980ās when the collapse of the steel industry and the mass exodus to rugby league decimated the Welsh game. The feeling in Wales was when rugby went professional, the old order would be restored. It took a few years to bed down put when the first Grand Slam since 1978 was won under Mike Ruddock in 2005, the view was they were back in their rightful position to stay.
Gatland was under pressure coming into this season, not having won a Championship since 2012 under his stewardship. Even when they won the Grand Slam this year, there were mutterings from the Welsh rugby public that only Italy scored more tries. Thereās an expectation in Wales, not only that they win, but they win in style like the team of the 1970ās did.
I watched the match this morning, with a mate from Wales. He played through all the grades for Wales, bar senior and lined out for Llanelli for a few years at the end of the amateur era. He was like a dog after the match. His parting comment to me was, thatās two semi finals under Gatland that weāve fucked away, when we had the better team and players.
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Iām not sure where the gatland love is coming from on here. Heās failed miserably against the south hemispheres side also as Wales manager. He was blessed to meet ireland in 2011 and France in 2019 in World Cup 1/4 finals. His style of play is awful too. Very little ambition. Overall I think heās been a failure.
It strikes me that its mostly the rugby once every four years soccer crew that are big into Gatland here. The same crowd are highly critical of what they perceive as an attritional style of play from Ireland under Coach Schmidt and a high injury count going into the 2015 quarter final against Argentina which scuppered prospects of an Ireland win.
Odd if thatās their line of attack, that thereās no comment on Liam Williams getting injured in training during the week, or Talupe Faletau and Cory Hill injured in training camp before the tournament, or the likes of George North, Gareth Anscombe, Thomas Frances, Josh Navidi, Fox Davies getting crocked either before or during todayās match. A few of those bodies available and Wales would have closed that out this morning.
Two World Cup semi finals - what would the IRFU give for a coach like that?
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If Ireland had faced France in the quarter final theyād have probably won. Donāt think a World Cup semi final is worth much to them. Either win it out or shut up is my mantra.
Jamie Roberts and warburton were crocked for a finish too under gatland. Lydiate another fellamruined by injuries.
Yeah, shur whatās a World Cup semi final, practically the same as a quarter final.
He didnāt even manage to reach the quarter-finals when he managed Ireland
I referenced that last week. Of the seven men that have coached Ireland at a rugby World Cup, Gatland is the only one who failed to make a quarter final.
Hampered by the worst generation of players ireland have had in decades
Wood, OāDriscoll etc?
Thatās a serious clamping for @myboyblue. He should stick to talking to himself on the Laois GAA thread.