Lions tour like 'a shot of adrenalin'
Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:39
'Having a laugh': Welsh head coach Warren Gatland
British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has touched back down in Wales from South Africa and, according to Wales Rugby Union boss, Roger Lewis, is looking to keep that Lions 'buzz' alive and inspire Wales to a Southern Hemisphere scalp this Autumn.
Wales have a busy November ahead of them this year with four fixtures in consecutive weekends including clashes with New Zealand and Australia at the Millennium Stadium.
While they may have lost the series 2-1, the Lions final test victory over South Africa in Johannesburg helped all the party, Gatland included, finish the tour on a high. Returning now to his 'day job', Gatland is determined to keep that success coming and use the experience he, his fellow coaches, and 13 of his Welsh players gained over the six weeks, to good effect.
"Warren is in a bubbly mood, the tour finished on a high with a win over the Springboks and those players, coaches and back room staff who have represented Wales on the tour have done themselves and their nation proud and learned a great deal," said Lewis to the Western Mail.
"But there is nothing like the looming prospect of playing a trio of teams positioned significantly higher than you in the IRB world rankings to help focus the mind on the task ahead.
"The Lions may have lost, but they finished with a victory and Warren, his coaches and players are tasked with continuing that momentum as they build towards kicking off the international season against New Zealand on November 7."
He continued: "Our coaches and analysts return to Wales richer for the experience of a magnificent tour and our players will stand taller knowing the integral part they played in making it a success.
"Credit must go to the whole of northern hemisphere rugby, Ian McGeechan and his team for what they achieved in that third Test.
"But the great thing from a Welsh perspective is our squad have an opportunity to pick up where the Lions left off with a fixture list we have created this autumn which provides top quality world opposition.
"Lesser men may demand some respite, but our players and coaches are true professionals.
"When a rugby man of the stature and experience of Warren Gatland tells you he has been enriched by a tour and it has made him and his colleagues better coaches and his players better players, that's something that should send a shot of adrenalin through the whole of Welsh rugby in expectation of what could be to come."