B&I Lions 2017
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Warren Gatland defends game plan against ongoing 'Warrenball' tag
The Lions boss was irritated by suggestions that his team play negative rugby.
THE PHRASE ‘WARRENBALL’ has come to be a derogatory term used by Warren Gatland’s detractors, a tag that signifies the perceived limits of the Lions head coach’s tactical approach.
Gatland, rather unsurprisingly, doesn’t have too much time for the idea that his philosophy on the game is a negative one.
Winning collisions and being direct are simply part of the game, according to Gatland, but not the entire picture.
Gatland is of the belief that the phrase ‘Warrenball,’ which was coined by former Ireland international and England attack coach Brian Smith, is a simple means to criticise him after his successes with Wasps, Waikato, the Lions and Wales.
Asked about the perceptions around his tactical approach today in Auckland, Gatland responded with obvious irritation and bit back with a query as to when people had started talking about ‘Warrenball’.
“I kind of look and go, ‘Was is it when we were successful at Wasps or when I was coaching Waikato in the Air New Zealand Cup?’ I don’t know, when did a certain style change?
“Look, a few years ago Brian Smith coined the phrase ‘Warrenball’ and I don’t know whether that was because he was jealous of how much success we had.
“We had a group of players who came through Wales at the time who ended up being pretty big physical players.
“The modern game of rugby is about getting across the gainline, trying to get front-foot ball and playing to space if that is possible.”
Warren Gatland Gatland speaks to Jared Payne at Lions training.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Gatland said he doesn’t worry too much about those perceptions, but his apparent frustration suggested otherwise.
He pointed to the Lions’ tour of Australia in 2013 for evidence of one of his teams disproving the ‘Warrenball’ tag, with the touring squad having convincingly beaten the Wallabies in the third Test four years ago.
“I think in a way it is an opportunity for people to want to be critical,” said Gatland. “We experienced that four years ago when people decided to be critical and a lot of people got caught with their pants down afterwards, didn’t they?”
While the Lions didn’t display a clinical edge against the Provincial Barbarians on Saturday in a 13-7 victory, Gatland again stated that he is backing his players to operate with freedom in attack on this summer’s tour.
He is hopeful of seeing more of that against the Blues at Eden Park this week, and against the All Blacks when the Test series rolls around.
“We know we didn’t play so well on Saturday and it gives us an opportunity to go out against the Blues and be positive. The message to the players is that we want to play positive rugby, we want to be able to move the ball and shift it and create chances.”
Warren Gatland in the team huddle during training
Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
“To match the All Blacks, you have got to display a bit of x-factor and if that x-factor means an offload or doing something that is a little bit outside the box, the players are being encouraged to do that.
“Because that is what we are going to need to beat them, and express themselves, back their skills and back their ability and we don’t want to be prescribed and we don’t want to play by numbers.
“These players are being encouraged to develop their level of skills and to go out there and to do that. Hopefully, we can show that on Wednesday and the players can do that and perform to what they are being encouraged by the coaches to do.” -
When he coaching Waikato I always thought Warrenball, or Gatlandball I think we called it back then, was:
Step one: Give all players gym membership and programming
Step two: Institute rush defense.
Step three: Lose a season teaching the players how to do it and building combinations
Step four: Profit
Step five: Get figured out -
@Rembrandt said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Milk I saw similar at the same game. worst I've ever seen by rugby fans, if I was a lions supporter that would have left a really bitter taste about new zealand
I knew it. You're all a shower of complete bastards.
.......even though I've never actually met any of you or visited your country.
Your rugby's not bad though.
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@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
he watched the Saders play the Highlanders and reckons both would be easily accounted for by Saracens.
What must it be like to live in a delusion bubble?
This really is the best thing about a Lions tour. Putting these jokers back in their box.
Thing is though. These guys aren't bad players and they look really good playing in their own comps which is what tricks everyone.
Watching the European finals over the past month, one of the most obvious takeaways was the amount of walking that goes on off-the-ball. There is no lack of intensity around the ball, but away from it, forwards aren't reloading with any speed at all.
And that was finals.
That's what makes these tour games really intriguing for me. -
Once every 12 years.
Some very lucky local players (and coaches) getting to play against test strength opponents in some pretty intense atmospheres.
Players, coaches will be learning plenty of good and hard lessons, and the selectors are having their job over the next 2 years made a bit easier.
3 games in. Limited to the potential AB level up and comers, Winners;
- R Ioane
- Goodhue
- I would probably put Tuungafasi in this category. Looked good, 1 technical penalty given away cheap.
- A Ioane
Had some hard lessons;
- Mou'uga
- Perofeta (good & bad, hell of an occasion for an almost debut)
- Duffie. I'm a fan but his accuracy was off that night, not a shocker. But was expecting his 'test like' game to be right for that sort of occasion.
- Whitelock from a captaincy pov
- Scott Robertson should get a bit out of that
- Bridge, had a shocker (was also quite poor v Highlanders/Naholo in big game the week before
- Havili
C Taylor was an inbetweener, should have got good value experience out of that both ways. Demolishing their scrum, throwing into a screaming lineout, coping with being on the wrong side of a French ref etc etc
Going to be fascinated to see D Mckenzie get two shots at this. Sopoaga this week.
Very disappointed that Dixon, Squire, Faddes are missing this sort of opportunity for the Highlanders, and that Buckman will be out of position.
After these next 2 games, I think the pressure will come off the All Black-less franchises still to play their games. So there won't be that pressure-laden weight of expectation or hope for a win. It will be more a 'worth a crack nigel' sort of occasion. Which is a shame as seeing these guys operate in that sort of atmosphere is fascinating.
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@Rapido I guess you could say Havili had some hard lessons - but it seems really odd that he got shoved to 12 after showing he wasn't really up to it last year and absolutely tearing it up at fullback this year.
Similarly Buckman has shown his best years at the back appear to be behind him and he's an outstanding midfielder, so I'm a bit worried there.
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Totally agree on that.
It would have been fascinating to see Havili coping with Connor Murray on a good day, like Bridge has to. That would have been worth finding out.
Don't mean that Havili gets marked down and written off, just that he had a tough day and lessons of linespeed and physicality meant that he had a rough lesson, but it's all good experience.
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And we get accused of not knowing about thier rugby....
I barely remember how many teams there are but I know it ain't been 12 for a long time! Although tbf it is still the same 5 teams in nz that were there in the S12, so in a wzy there is some truth in the headline 😂
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@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
His name is Fekitoa not Vaquita FFS and why does it matter how many of his family are left in the world?
i really hope you were looking for that tongue in cheek emoji...
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@Catogrande said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
His name is Fekitoa not Vaquita FFS and why does it matter how many of his family are left in the world?
i really hope you were looking for that tongue in cheek emoji...
No. I was too busy looking up when the World Wrestling Federation changed their logo to a panda and why they are concerned about an endangered rugby player
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@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
His name is Fekitoa not Vaquita FFS and why does it matter how many of his family are left in the world?
this really should have got more love. Tough crowd. two thumbs up
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@Stargazer said in B&I Lions 2017:
No replacement will be named apparently, but if there were one
Zebo?
Earls?
May?
Brown?Earls was absolutely excellent for Ireland vs USA, the best I have ever seen him play in a green jersey.
