Gatland worldly-wise and ready

Warren Gatland

In Warren Gatland's words, he always had "an insatiable appetite" for rugby knowledge.

That thirst for wisdom, and not just about his role of hooker, has never left him as he has grown in stature to become one of the world's best coaches. He's been a good listener and observer through the years and has put it to good use.

"I remember going on All Black tours and watching Grant Fox kick goals and talking to the other kickers about different points," he said.

"So I suppose I always had an interest. I was also lucky in that in teams at club level and Waikato I was given an input into the game and often asked for advice from coaches so in that way it was a natural progression to coaching."

When he takes over as Waikato NPC coach in mid-year, the province will not only be getting one of their own favourite sons back, but a coach of the highest calibre with a wider perspective on rugby than just the narrow confines of his homeland.

He played under a range of coaches but rather than emulate one particular style, Gatland says, rather like selecting teams, you pick out the nuggets from all of them and blend them with your own individual style.

He talks of current Chiefs manager Glenn Ross - "incredibly well organised"; recalls Kevin Greene's man management skills and ability to relate to people; and his All Black coach Alex Wyllie as all providing parts of the coaching puzzle.

"With Alex that was a different side of seeing how someone operated - very tough, very demanding in terms of results and expectations.

"I was lucky enough to be involved with very special groups of players at Waikato and the All Blacks. That taught me a lot about senior players and about responsibilities of putting the jersey on and what it meant. Lots of those things really stuck with me."

Gatland the player was a hooker in a golden era for the province in the early 1990s. The pack included Richard Loe, Graham Purvis, Brent Anderson, Steve Gordon, John Mitchell - all All Blacks - plus openside Duane Monkley, whose name always pops up in those "Unluckiest not to be an All Black" conversations, with current Chiefs coach Ian Foster running things at first five-eighths.

Mobile and industrious, he played 17 games for the All Blacks from 1988 to 1991, and would have had a clutch of test caps to his name but for the presence of one S. B. T. Fitzpatrick.

Not long after touring Ireland with the 1989 All Blacks, Gatland returned as player-coach with the Galwegians club in Galway. It was, he recalls with a laugh, "pretty primitive".

"I was lucky in that when I came along it was a bit of a novelty having an All Black as coach. They'd struggle to get 15 to training in the evenings."

Still it was a start. Later there was a short stint as Thames Valley's assistant coach when they climbed from third to second division in 1995 before a couple of successful seasons with Connacht, the equivalent of a provincial team in the west of Ireland, led to his being offered the Irish job.

It had a poisoned chalice feel to it. Gatland was the ninth coach appointed in the 1990s. But he had four years in charge, instilled continuity of selection and showed loyalty to a group of players he believes are now the most experienced international side in world rugby.

Although Gatland was bitterly disappointed when the Irish union decided to appoint one of their own a year out from the 2003 World Cup, there are plenty of good memories.

"I'm really proud of what I achieved. It was about putting a structure in place. I said 'forget about winning, let's become a really hard team to beat'.

"We concentrated on set pieces, scrums, lineouts and our defence and got fitter and we said 'if you're going to beat us you're going to have to work really hard'."

As the players got fitter and tasted success, their rugby improved to the point where they were capable of matching and beating most of the best.

When he lost the job, Gatland was overwhelmed by the response of the players, of whom about 12 are in the Irish team playing for the Six Nations title in Cardiff this weekend.

"A number of players rang me, wrote cards and letters saying they couldn't believe what had happened. That was huge."

And Ireland turning to Eddie O'Sullivan had a silver lining for Gatland, who linked up with English premiership club Wasps. "I wouldn't have had the opportunity to develop as a coach in a different environment."

In three seasons with the London club, he's taken them from bottom of the premiership to two titles in 2003 and 2004, plus a Heineken Cup triumph last year. They are second this season, seven points behind leaders Leicester, nine clear of third-placed Sale, whom they meet next weekend.

"Three premierships in a row would be great for the club and a nice way to finish."

Gatland did things the "wrong" way around. Conventional wisdom had it you earned your spurs coaching at club level in New Zealand, moved up from there, then if it suited, tried your luck overseas.

Learning his trade overseas gave Gatland a wider perspective on the game. He loves his country but doesn't go with the "we're the best, forget the rest" rugby syndrome.

"That's one of the things I've learnt while being away, just trying to be a little bit open-minded and realising there are lots of good things happening round the world and outside New Zealand.

"I think as a nation New Zealand has been incredibly successful in the past in solving problems internally. That's been one of their strengths, but at times also one of the weaknesses. We probably haven't looked outside our shores as often as we should."

He's come a long way from hooking the Taupiri scrum 15 years ago. Watching Gatland, a man with a worldly perspective of the game, working back on his old stamping ground will be fascinating.

WARREN GATLAND

* BORN: SEPTEMBER 17, 1963

* Position: Hooker

* Province: Waikato, 1986-94

* Games 140

* All Blacks: 17 games, 1988-91

* Coaching record: Galwegians, Thames Valley, Connacht, Ireland, Wasps

* Titles: Two English premierships and one Heineken Cup title with Wasps