Gatland: I'd Think About France or Japan & If the Right Thing Came Along I'd Look At It

Ahead of the November rugby internationals, former Wales head coach and three-time Lions coach Warren Gatland spoke to BOYLE Sports in a brand-new interview.

Having been linked with a number of high-profile vacancies, Gatland has given the lowdown on his reasons for turning down the Fiji job, revealed the kind of role that would tempt him back, and addressed a reported offer from Harlequins .

The three-time Lions coach has also explained why he believes the New Zealand job has gone, why a club role now appeals more than the international grind, and what another Lions tour would mean to him.

The Fiji Decision

Why Did the Fiji Job Not Work Out?

I did speak to them, and then I just said, look, I'm not going to follow through with applying for the job. I mean, look, they're an exciting team. I think Jake White will do a good job with them.

You feel like with a team like that there's a lot of things you can do to improve on, but yeah, it's just the timing wasn't quite right.

I had a grandson born a couple of weeks ago now, a third grandchild, and we had just settled. If something else came along and I felt it was the right thing, I would look at something.

What Would the Right Job Look Like?

I'd like to go to France or Japan ; I'd think about something like that. I've been lucky, and rugby has been brilliant to me. It's given me and my family great opportunities.

Yes, we've made lots of sacrifices by being apart and doing things and being away from family and friends and those sorts of things. And that's kind of the reason that when I left Wales , I just woke up one day and said, look, I've just had enough of the negativity. I don't need this in my life at the moment.

The All Blacks

Would the All Blacks Be a Job You Would Love, or Has That Train Gone?

I think it's gone, I think, yeah. I've never had a CV; I'd never really applied for a job before, so I've always been a great believer in what will be will be, and if you do a good job and you're successful, then you get opportunities.

That's kind of been my mantra around that. It's not something that I've ever sat thinking, I'd like to be the All Blacks coach, and how do I plan to do that?

But look, I'm still involved in the game, and if the right thing came along, then I would definitely look at it.

Did You Apply For the Job After Scott Robertson?

No!

The USA and Harlequins

The USA Could Be Looking At You. Is That True?

First I've heard of that! Sometimes I get texts and messages congratulating me, and I say the first I heard about it was when I read it on social media like you did.

Isn't That a Compliment to You, Though?

Yes, it's good. I did speak to Harlequins during the year. They made me an offer, but the timing wasn't quite right. It's a club that I've always had a bit of time for; they've got a pool of players to develop from in terms of youngsters.

That would have been potentially exciting, but just the timing wasn't quite right for me.

If Quins Came Calling Again, Would the Timing Be Right?

I'm doing this World Rugby thing at the moment, so I don't know what's going to happen there.

Would a Club Role Appeal, or a National Coach?

Maybe a club role or something like that. International rugby is really tough because I don't think people appreciate the limited preparation time.

You've got basically five or six training sessions, you're playing an international, and people expect you to win. The good thing about club stuff is that you've almost got an opportunity to experiment and fail to succeed.

You can try things, and it doesn't quite work out. You don't have that luxury in international rugby.

The Lions

What Do the Lions Mean to You, and Would You Love Another Go?

It's massive, yeah. I loved it. It is hard. I've noticed recently there's a lot of focus on the relationship with the media, and winning has become so important. I have this romantic view of the Lions , that it's a celebration of the game and the history.

Every twelve years you go to one of these countries and play. We should always keep in mind how important a Lions tour is to the host country financially, and we should just celebrate the game. We've seen in recent tours a lot of off-field stuff and behaviour that hasn't been the best.

If you had that opportunity, yeah, you'd like to do it. But Andy Farrell has done a good job; he's won a series, so depending on how Ireland goes, you could see him doing it again.

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