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Warren Gatland as Lions Head Coach

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Warren Gatland for me is a is a great choice as lines coach great admiration for him and what he does and how he works we first came across each other. I think when he was in Ireland and I was with Scotland. I followed him at wasps and just understanding that we think similar in similar ways, but he's got a great understanding of players and their mentality and the back to chemistry and environment. He creates very good environments. I can say, you know in 2009 with him Sean Edwards Graham Roundtree robe haole. There was a great feeling great environment. We could talk to each other we where we plan things. It was very open and I think you know, that's one of his huge attributes that he gets placed thinking the same way and he gets the best out of out of place. Is and support staff and he challenges them and he also knows you knowing how important it, you know, the lions are to you know, four players in in the four countries gasping and New Zealander. I don't think makes makes any difference, you know, he's coached island is coached Wales is clock coach the club side in England. He's been here for probably 15 years or more in this environment and he understands it and he's very respectful of it and and of the Lions and strangely enough I asked him if he'd speak to the players early on in the tour in 2009 and he said no not yet. He said I haven't earned that right for someone to have that understanding of what is required or what it means I think says a lot about him and how he sees things and he did speak to the players. As a group differ in different ways and individually, but he did speak to them in the dressing room before the third test as well. And and and you know, those were the times when you you can just see has that Rapport and that understanding about what the Lions is about and and I'm sure he will just keep developing that as we get into Australia in 2013. I think from a coaching perspective some of the key things that had coach has to look at is the selection of his immediate stuff. I might sound strange but the management has to be right so that it has the best and the highest standards are working practices and understanding that is shown to the players because there isn't a huge amount of time for everything to fit together. That you know 2009 was a great example of everybody in the management on the rugby side of that tour knew each other. Well, so you could ask and get answers to the difficult difficult questions really early and then out of that you then look at the selection process for the players and what you want to do in that respect and part of that is speaking to coaches International coaches or the coaches about the player a little bit about his background as well. And and then you get a feel for the chemistry of what you think will work do a lot of work on the opponent's for the type of rugby want to play the type of player. But in the end you want that chemistry to work the biggest problem. I always call it week the week 5 problem on week 5 you've just been on tour long enough that if there's anything that's irritating you will probably come out and that's Management all players it's often week five that you have to pick the test team. So there is a defined split that will come into the group. You can't do anything about that that's test team and non-test players and managing that is critical and giving players the opportunity to show what they can do on tour I think is critical up to that point. Some would say, you're only be competitive if you if you've got your test team in your head. Bye week one and you work through four weeks preparation. I would say the opposite that yes, you know what players are bringing to the table, you know what they're like you watch them play for 12 months, but when they get on tour the lines environment will bring things out in certain players that you haven't seen before and that's where the challenge for coaches is to have an open mind.