(Reuters) – Warren Gatland said he would not have returned as Wales coach had he known the full extent of the issues facing rugby in the country, but he believes Welsh rugby can bring about a “positive reset”.
New Zealander Gatland, who took charge of Wales for a second time in December following the departure of Wayne Pivac, oversaw a Six Nations campaign in which Wales recorded only one victory.
Wales have also been plagued by problems off the field, with players threatening to go on strike this year over contract issues with the country’s Professional Rugby Board (PRB).
In a BBC Wales documentary aired in January, several former female Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) employees made allegations about comments and behaviour they said were sexist and discriminatory.
“When I came into the Six Nations, I had no idea. I didn’t realise a lot of the things that were going on and the issues that were behind rugby and the squad and the players,” Gatland told the BBC.
“At the time if I had known, I would have made a different decision and probably gone somewhere else… These issues were here before, but there’s no doubt that the success of the national team in the past probably papered over the cracks.
“Now, probably for the better, they have come to the fore and there is a chance to focus on the things that needed fixing. There’s a great chance for us to have a really positive reset on a number of things…”
Wales’s struggles have also led to pessimism over their chances at this year’s World Cup in France.
Several players have withdrawn from the preliminary training squad for the tournament, with stalwarts Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones and Rhys Webb announcing their retirements.
However, Gatland struck a defiant note.
“What gives me an edge or a buzz is when the expectations aren’t there or the challenges appear to be greater. That drives me even more,” he said.
“If some of the Welsh media can keep writing us off that would be great because they’re doing us a huge favour.
“It’s allowing us to come in under the radar and there’s nothing the Welsh boys love better than being written off and backs-to-the-wall, they tend to respond to that.”
Wales face Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal in World Cup Pool C.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India, editing by Ed Osmond)
