Warren Gatland had planned a farewell with his coaching team in Dublin after the World Cup, sampling a few drops of the black stuff to mark the end of 12 years together. Black is the word in a week when his right-hand man since 2008, Rob Howley, was sent home as an investigation was launched into whether Wales’s attack coach had breached betting regulations.
This is when Gatland earns his money. No one is shrugging off the loss of a key coaching figure less than a week before Wales’s opening match in a tournament they believe they can win as if it were something that happened all the time. But with a replacement, Stephen Jones, already summoned, the talk is of using adversity to forge a stronger team spirit.
Written by Paul Rees in Tokyo
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/18/warren-gatland-wales-turmoil-rugby-world-cup-paul-rees under the title “Warren Gatland must plough on regardless amid Wales turmoil | Paul Rees”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
