Transition: Rob Howley and Warren Gatland
Interim Wales coach Rob Howley is set to remain at the helm for the opening November Tests while Warren Gatland scouts players for the British and Irish Lions.
With Gatland almost certain to be named Lions coach for the 2013 tour of Australia, Howley has revealed that succession plans are in place that will see him take over full time for the 2013 Six Nations.
After standing in for Gatland during the Welsh tour to Australia in June following the Kiwi's DIY mishap, Howley is now ready to take the reins long-term.
"It was my first opportunity to be head coach and I really enjoyed it. It certainly hasn't put me off," Howley told Wales Online.
"I wouldn't mind continuing in that role in the autumn and then the Six Nations.
"I'm working on the basis that I will be in charge for the Argentina and Samoa Tests in November. Then Warren comes back for New Zealand and Australia.
"England play the Wallabies on the weekend of our Samoan game and Warren will be able to watch that, which will be great for us in terms of our preparation for taking on Australia. Then the plan is I will be in charge again through the Six Nations.
"Hopefully next season will be a chance for me to get some wins under my belt as Wales coach. I'm very competitive and I want to win.
"Ultimately international rugby is about results. Any head coach will tell you that. That's where you will be judged and I'm not hiding away from the 3-0 whitewash in Australia. The challenge now is to learn the lessons from that and put those lessons into practice come the autumn."
Comments
pierredelot1 says...
Gatland is a born leader and the WRFU should hang on to him as long as possible. Change for changes sake should not be an option. Good number twos rarely make great no 1s and Howley I feel is better suited to that role. I feel that with Gatland at the helm Wales may have improved the performance down under. Trouble with Wales is, they show great promise, play really well for one season, then seem to believe their own publicity and come up short the following season. In real terms the Australian Tour was a disaster, they have the players, but have they got the b...s
Posted 10:22 19th August 2012
KiwiLad says...
Melkedave, he guy has a toilet fashioned in the shape of his own head, so to say he is full of Sh&% is accurate.
But is it driven by the fact that Wales have had a while between AB victorys?
It must irk him to say the least that his beloved Welsh side is coached by a Kiwi.
Posted 06:53 14th August 2012
melkdave says...
@Kiwilad
Jones is a brit journo so what do you expect ,you know our papers are full of jingolistic rubbish atm and half truths in the vain hope sales will soar.Jones also has his head up his arse in the mistaken belef that people read him for his opinons on rugby or anything.Just like S.Barnes on Sky tv no one really listens to them as they mostly get it wrong ,but they are good for a laugh now and again.
Posted 03:15 12th August 2012
kiwilad says...
I know this is very off topic, but could someone please tell me why Welsh journalist Stephen Jones is such a Kiwi Hater??
Historically he has rubbished at every possible opportunity the All Blacks, but more recently turned his hatred to our Olympians...
Any Ideas???
Posted 09:54 11th August 2012
melkdave says...
Howley will have learned a hell of alot from the Australia tour debarcle.Where imho Wakle splayed well below their best,and Australia scrapped a whitewash .I think if D.Bigger starts the new season well he will be starting FH for Wales ,Priestland just looked out of form in the summer,which happens to him alot TBH ,one season he playes fantastic ,then the next his fairly ordinary.Hoprfully RH will also shift the attack slightly as well ,as Wales going through the centres is known far and wide now
Posted 11:00 09th August 2012
leinsterblue says...
@GoWalesGo...agree that the Lions coach should be British or Irish, but in reality, who is there...my only thought would be Andy Robinson, but then Scotland would be deprived of what he has done to start making them a force to be reckoned with...
my own opinion, is that the WRU should not have let him go as they will lose their momentum - he is a great coach and has marshalled the side really well...
Posted 17:00 23rd July 2012
seapointer says...
good news for everyone else....at least now the irish we can start to look forward to there bi-annual wins in cardiff :) good man gatty
Posted 16:06 23rd July 2012
GoWalesGo says...
I'm really pissed off that Gatland is leaving for a sabbatical with the Lions. I really couldn't care less about the Lions success, Wales comes first to me. A British or Irish coach should coach the Lions anyway, if we are keeping the Lions because of tradition.
God help us with Howley in charge, he is out of his depth.
Posted 14:52 23rd July 2012
rustytrumpet says...
Oh dear, howley at the helm again. doesnt bode well for us again.
The lack of tactical nouse he showed in the autumn internationals he showed wasnt good.
Selection wasnt good and subs werent used correctly.
Hope Gatland takes him to task before he goes off, otherwise I think we (wales) are going to have problems getting the all important results we need.
Posted 12:04 23rd July 2012
rico says...
I think Wales will miss Gatland's prescence again - against the wallabies nothing changed throughout the series - when big descision needed to be made ie drop priestland and change gameplan a little to negate the 'pocock' affect nothing was done and we came away whitewashed. Lessons should have been learnt after 1st test and team reorganised for next two tests - I don't think Howley cuts the mustard as an International coach unfortunately. Bad descision to let Gatland do this B&I Lions on WRU part - Wales were on somewhat of a roll and could all peter out further than 0-3 current run - could be going into 2013 6 Nations on a 0-7 losing streak (Lose to Arg and Sam....possible and lose to Aus and NZ.... probable) all that after coming off a good WC Showing and GS 6 Nations. If Gats was still 100% at the Helm would feel a lot more confident on the opposite happening and smashing the Argies and Samoa, confidently gaining revenge over the Aussies and then having a real opportunity to trouble the All Blacks... his influence is that important to this group of players I feel.
Posted 10:10 23rd July 2012