Warburton: Gatland will not lead England
Sam Warburton, the former Wales captain, believes Warren Gatland should turn his back on England when he considers his next coaching move.
Gatland will seek pastures new after this year’s World Cup, with The Daily Telegraph having revealed that he is the favourite to succeed Eddie Jones as England head coach after the tournament in Japan. The 55-year-old New Zealander has also admitted he has explored coaching opportunities in the Premiership and with the Lions.
“Warren has joked England couldn’t afford him,” Warburton said. “I don’t think he would coach England. It’s not that he wouldn’t want to and he wouldn’t enjoy the challenge, but I just couldn’t see it happening. He is an honorary Welshman now.”
Gatland, who is two games away from a third Six Nations Grand Slam with Wales, has coached the British and Irish Lions on their past two tours with Warburton as captain.
The latter believes Gatland should be given the job for the South Africa tour in 2021. Sir Ian McGeechan is the only man to have led the Lions on three straight tours.
“I think the Lions would be desperate to get him back on board. They have got a new chief executive and he will probably know more than anybody you have got to keep the spine of your coaching team.
“They will have some continuity in the playing group, but you must have continuity from a management point of view. I think the Lions would be desperate to have him.”
The Lions won the series against Australia 2-1 in 2013 and drew 1-1 with world champions New Zealand four years later.
Warburton, forced by injury to retire last year, believes that for the sake of player welfare the 2021 trip should feature fewer games than the 10 the Lions had in New Zealand.
Whatever Gatland does next, he is determined to end his 12-year spell with Wales on a high. After beating England 21-13 in Cardiff, Wales travel to Scotland in round four on Saturday before facing Ireland at the Principality Stadium on the final weekend.
Warburton – the last man to captain his nation to a Six Nations clean sweep – added: “Wales are looking serious business. I think they are in a great place. The way they met fire with fire against England was very impressive.
“I’ve been asked about Warren dropping into the press that England are bottlers. He was probably having a bit of a giggle, hoping some English fans will bite on it, but Gats is a bit cleverer than the average fan.
“I think he has planted it in there because if it works out Wales play England at the World Cup – which they could – it would be brought up and the pressure would go on to the England players.
“Maybe there is some truth in it. If you look over the past six years, the three biggest games we’ve played against England – 2013, 2015 and this year – Wales have come out on top.”
Off the field, domestic rugby in Wales has problems, with the Welsh Rugby Union and its four professional sides unable to agree on how the game should be run. Talks between the five parties continue behind the scenes.
Last week, Gatland’s squad sat down with the WRU to discuss the issue. “It doesn’t seem to be taking its toll on the boys. Players will naturally be upset though they’ll be professional enough to not let it impact their international performances,” Warburton said. “When you go into the national camp, you park it to one side.”