Point
25th-November-2006, 07:52
<H1>Gatland's new deal can entice the RFU</H1>
@@@@SPAN =artByline>By PETER JACKSON@@@@/SPAN> @@@@SPAN =artDate>Last updated at 22:54pm on 24th November 2006@@@@/SPAN>
Warren Gatland, the leading overseas contender to be England's next head coach, has refused to sign a long-term contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union.
The former All Black, who guided Wasps to their English-European Double in 2004, will be a free agent at the end of the World Cup next October when Andy Robinson's contract runs out, assuming he lasts that long.
The revelation that Gatland has committed himself to nothing more than another season in charge of his native Waikato will stimulate RFU interest in bringing him back post-World Cup.
In highlighting the political issues which have handicapped Robinson's regime, the 43-year-old Kiwi accuses Premiership club owners and coaches of conspiring against England - a factor which Sir Clive Woodward cited as the major reason for his resignation in September 2004.
"I've only signed for the coming season," said Gatland during a brief visit to touch former bases in London and Galway.
"They wanted me to sign for longer but I've said no. Rugby is such a volatile sport that you never know what's going to happen from season to season. I'm keeping my options open."
Twickenham has already made one abortive move for Gatland, last summer as a prospective candidate for the overlord role of elite director of rugby before Rob Andrew's appointment in August. Gatland ruled himself out after a number of interviews with the RFU's head-hunters.
"I did that because I want to coach and the job, as I understood it, did not involve any coaching," he said. "There is still a lot of coaching I want to do and I did not want to be involved in a position which didn't have a hands-on role."
Sean Fitzpatrick, whose monopoly of the hooker position explains why Gatland, his patient understudy, played 17 times for the All Blacks without making the Test team, believes England missed a trick by failing to add Gatland to their coaching team before he returned home. "They must have been mad to let him slip out of their orbit," he said.
This time next year he could be back in their orbit, but only if the English game has resolved its hitherto insoluble club-country dispute. "Sort that one out and you'd fix half the issues in English rugby overnight, especially the big one about preparation," said Gatland.
"Longer block-release periods of the players from the clubs would be part of the solution. Unfortunately, you have the owners saying they do the game a service by providing all the players and you have the RFU saying they provide all the money for the game.
"They have to find middle ground somewhere, otherwise they won't get anywhere. For that to happen you have to have people running the clubs who care about English rugby and who want England to succeed. There are some who don't."
He speaks from first-hand knowledge. "I've had conversations with people, seen them operate and seen how obtuse they were towards England," he added. "I didn't have a problem because I had been working on the other side of the fence during my time with the Irish team.
"Supporting England and releasing players for them was not an issue with me. We had a good squad, so I didn't worry about it, but there were other people in the Premiership who made it very difficult. I'm not going to say who they were, but some were very anti when it came to supporting England.
"With the communication between the All Black coaches and the provincial coaches, regular conferences, sharing of ideas both ways, the transfer of information in New Zealand is so quick it makes a huge difference to the success of the teams.
"It brings you round to the question of central contracts. I think it can work, it's just a question of convincing the owners. There are lots of issues to be resolved. Winning the last World Cu
@@@@SPAN =artByline>By PETER JACKSON@@@@/SPAN> @@@@SPAN =artDate>Last updated at 22:54pm on 24th November 2006@@@@/SPAN>
Warren Gatland, the leading overseas contender to be England's next head coach, has refused to sign a long-term contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union.
The former All Black, who guided Wasps to their English-European Double in 2004, will be a free agent at the end of the World Cup next October when Andy Robinson's contract runs out, assuming he lasts that long.
The revelation that Gatland has committed himself to nothing more than another season in charge of his native Waikato will stimulate RFU interest in bringing him back post-World Cup.
In highlighting the political issues which have handicapped Robinson's regime, the 43-year-old Kiwi accuses Premiership club owners and coaches of conspiring against England - a factor which Sir Clive Woodward cited as the major reason for his resignation in September 2004.
"I've only signed for the coming season," said Gatland during a brief visit to touch former bases in London and Galway.
"They wanted me to sign for longer but I've said no. Rugby is such a volatile sport that you never know what's going to happen from season to season. I'm keeping my options open."
Twickenham has already made one abortive move for Gatland, last summer as a prospective candidate for the overlord role of elite director of rugby before Rob Andrew's appointment in August. Gatland ruled himself out after a number of interviews with the RFU's head-hunters.
"I did that because I want to coach and the job, as I understood it, did not involve any coaching," he said. "There is still a lot of coaching I want to do and I did not want to be involved in a position which didn't have a hands-on role."
Sean Fitzpatrick, whose monopoly of the hooker position explains why Gatland, his patient understudy, played 17 times for the All Blacks without making the Test team, believes England missed a trick by failing to add Gatland to their coaching team before he returned home. "They must have been mad to let him slip out of their orbit," he said.
This time next year he could be back in their orbit, but only if the English game has resolved its hitherto insoluble club-country dispute. "Sort that one out and you'd fix half the issues in English rugby overnight, especially the big one about preparation," said Gatland.
"Longer block-release periods of the players from the clubs would be part of the solution. Unfortunately, you have the owners saying they do the game a service by providing all the players and you have the RFU saying they provide all the money for the game.
"They have to find middle ground somewhere, otherwise they won't get anywhere. For that to happen you have to have people running the clubs who care about English rugby and who want England to succeed. There are some who don't."
He speaks from first-hand knowledge. "I've had conversations with people, seen them operate and seen how obtuse they were towards England," he added. "I didn't have a problem because I had been working on the other side of the fence during my time with the Irish team.
"Supporting England and releasing players for them was not an issue with me. We had a good squad, so I didn't worry about it, but there were other people in the Premiership who made it very difficult. I'm not going to say who they were, but some were very anti when it came to supporting England.
"With the communication between the All Black coaches and the provincial coaches, regular conferences, sharing of ideas both ways, the transfer of information in New Zealand is so quick it makes a huge difference to the success of the teams.
"It brings you round to the question of central contracts. I think it can work, it's just a question of convincing the owners. There are lots of issues to be resolved. Winning the last World Cu