
Lions' Gatland gun leaves lasting mark on Bronco Ben
Te'o, who also played for Queensland in the State of Origin arena, had a stellar career in two codes as a player before embarking on his coaching dream.
It was under Gatland, regarded as one of the greatest rugby coaches of all time, that Te'o toured New Zealand in 2017 in a three-Test series drawn 1-1. He played inside centre in the 30-15 win in the first Test against the All Blacks, and came off the bench in a 15-15 draw in the final Test.
Te'o, who also played 18 rugby Tests for England, said Gatland and rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett, who he was assistant coach under at the Dolphins, shared a lot in common.
"I'd always heard Warren Gatland was a great man manager and great at bringing teams together, and I had the opportunity to experience that and play the All Blacks, such an incredible tour to go on," Te'o told AAP.
"At the time everyone feared them, but by the time we had been through our camps in New Zealand there was a real strong belief that we could get the job done.
"Once I got into coaching myself, I used a lot of things I learned from Warren, and then once I started working with Wayne I saw the similarities between the two and why they were successful."
Gatland taught Te'o plenty about the building blocks of success."One of the things that is really important in coaching is building team chemistry from the get-go, and Warren did a great job of giving the team free time to have a beer and socialise and build team camaraderie first. Wayne does that too," Te'o said."The second thing is being able to convince a team that they are going to win and how they will win.
"I remember Warren talking about how we would beat the All Blacks and where we could catch them by surprise, what our strengths were and how the games would play out. When a coach talks like that you leave the room thinking 'we can do this'"We ended up sharing the trophy, but the Lions shocked the All Blacks after no one gave us a chance."
Te'o never got to play the Wallabies on a Lions tour, but there are no regrets."To be honest, when you line up the tours against the Wallabies, Springboks or All Blacks I am taking the All Blacks," he said.
"They were the best and had the biggest aura around them. They were two years off winning the World Cup for the second time in a row. There was nothing better."
This year's State of Origin series has just been won 2-1 by the Maroons, and now the Wallabies take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night, with the build-up at fever pitch. Te'o understands the enormity of the occasion intimately."My career is split in half between rugby league and rugby union. For me to reach those heights in rugby union is special," he said.
"When I played State of Origin I thought that was the biggest thing I would ever experience. Once I went on a Lions tour I realised there is something else out there that is similar in terms of how big the build-up is and how much people get behind it. I was lucky to experience those two events."
Brisbane assistant coach Ben Te'o credits his stint as a player with the British and Irish Lions under legendary mentor Warren Gatland as life-changing in his new role.
Te'o, who also played for Queensland in the State of Origin arena, had a stellar career in two codes as a player before embarking on his coaching dream.
It was under Gatland, regarded as one of the greatest rugby coaches of all time, that Te'o toured New Zealand in 2017 in a three-Test series drawn 1-1. He played inside centre in the 30-15 win in the first Test against the All Blacks, and came off the bench in a 15-15 draw in the final Test.
Te'o, who also played 18 rugby Tests for England, said Gatland and rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett, who he was assistant coach under at the Dolphins, shared a lot in common.
"I'd always heard Warren Gatland was a great man manager and great at bringing teams together, and I had the opportunity to experience that and play the All Blacks, such an incredible tour to go on," Te'o told AAP.
"At the time everyone feared them, but by the time we had been through our camps in New Zealand there was a real strong belief that we could get the job done.
"Once I got into coaching myself, I used a lot of things I learned from Warren, and then once I started working with Wayne I saw the similarities between the two and why they were successful."
Gatland taught Te'o plenty about the building blocks of success."One of the things that is really important in coaching is building team chemistry from the get-go, and Warren did a great job of giving the team free time to have a beer and socialise and build team camaraderie first. Wayne does that too," Te'o said."The second thing is being able to convince a team that they are going to win and how they will win.
"I remember Warren talking about how we would beat the All Blacks and where we could catch them by surprise, what our strengths were and how the games would play out. When a coach talks like that you leave the room thinking 'we can do this'"We ended up sharing the trophy, but the Lions shocked the All Blacks after no one gave us a chance."
Te'o never got to play the Wallabies on a Lions tour, but there are no regrets."To be honest, when you line up the tours against the Wallabies, Springboks or All Blacks I am taking the All Blacks," he said.
"They were the best and had the biggest aura around them. They were two years off winning the World Cup for the second time in a row. There was nothing better."
This year's State of Origin series has just been won 2-1 by the Maroons, and now the Wallabies take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night, with the build-up at fever pitch. Te'o understands the enormity of the occasion intimately."My career is split in half between rugby league and rugby union. For me to reach those heights in rugby union is special," he said.
"When I played State of Origin I thought that was the biggest thing I would ever experience. Once I went on a Lions tour I realised there is something else out there that is similar in terms of how big the build-up is and how much people get behind it. I was lucky to experience those two events."
Brisbane assistant coach Ben Te'o credits his stint as a player with the British and Irish Lions under legendary mentor Warren Gatland as life-changing in his new role.
Te'o, who also played for Queensland in the State of Origin arena, had a stellar career in two codes as a player before embarking on his coaching dream.
It was under Gatland, regarded as one of the greatest rugby coaches of all time, that Te'o toured New Zealand in 2017 in a three-Test series drawn 1-1. He played inside centre in the 30-15 win in the first Test against the All Blacks, and came off the bench in a 15-15 draw in the final Test.
Te'o, who also played 18 rugby Tests for England, said Gatland and rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett, who he was assistant coach under at the Dolphins, shared a lot in common.
"I'd always heard Warren Gatland was a great man manager and great at bringing teams together, and I had the opportunity to experience that and play the All Blacks, such an incredible tour to go on," Te'o told AAP.
"At the time everyone feared them, but by the time we had been through our camps in New Zealand there was a real strong belief that we could get the job done.
"Once I got into coaching myself, I used a lot of things I learned from Warren, and then once I started working with Wayne I saw the similarities between the two and why they were successful."
Gatland taught Te'o plenty about the building blocks of success."One of the things that is really important in coaching is building team chemistry from the get-go, and Warren did a great job of giving the team free time to have a beer and socialise and build team camaraderie first. Wayne does that too," Te'o said."The second thing is being able to convince a team that they are going to win and how they will win.
"I remember Warren talking about how we would beat the All Blacks and where we could catch them by surprise, what our strengths were and how the games would play out. When a coach talks like that you leave the room thinking 'we can do this'"We ended up sharing the trophy, but the Lions shocked the All Blacks after no one gave us a chance."
Te'o never got to play the Wallabies on a Lions tour, but there are no regrets."To be honest, when you line up the tours against the Wallabies, Springboks or All Blacks I am taking the All Blacks," he said.
"They were the best and had the biggest aura around them. They were two years off winning the World Cup for the second time in a row. There was nothing better."
This year's State of Origin series has just been won 2-1 by the Maroons, and now the Wallabies take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night, with the build-up at fever pitch. Te'o understands the enormity of the occasion intimately."My career is split in half between rugby league and rugby union. For me to reach those heights in rugby union is special," he said.
"When I played State of Origin I thought that was the biggest thing I would ever experience. Once I went on a Lions tour I realised there is something else out there that is similar in terms of how big the build-up is and how much people get behind it. I was lucky to experience those two events."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Courier-Mail
7 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Wallabies: Rob Valetini fit for second Test against Lions
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby. Followed categories will be added to My News. Wallabies star Rob Valetini has declared himself 'good to go' for Australia's do-or-die clash with the British and Irish Lions on Saturday night at the MCG and has backed the decision not to play him in his team's first Test loss in Brisbane. The presence of the intimidating flanker was sorely missed by the Wallabies in the Lions' 27-19 weekend win at Suncorp Stadium. Missing the game hurt, Valetini thought he was a 'shoo-in' to overcome a calf injury and be fit for the match. 'But it was a smart idea just to have a week off and get through some more training and a bit of more loading through the calf,' Valetini said in Melbourne. 'I did a session Saturday morning. I did a pretty tough session there, so (the calf) feels good to go. 'I had to put all my focus through my recovery and getting through all my exercise and trying to get the body right for the next two Tests.' Rob Valetini is ready to return to Australia's forward pack on Saturday night against the British and Irish Lions. Picture:However the third Test on Saturday week in Sydney will mean nothing if the Lions clinch the three-game series with a win at the MCG. 'I was eager to get on the field (in Brisbane) but couldn't, and that's the challenge for us this week, knowing what's coming and trying to prepare for that,' said Melbourne-born Valetini, who hopes to deliver a strong performance in front of family and friends. Not that he's feeling any extra pressure to do so despite the series being on the line for the Wallabies. 'I feel like it's just another game of rugby and something I've been playing ever since I was young,' Valetini said. 'I just try to go out there and just do my job, whether that's carrying (the ball) or doing the tackling. I'm just trying to do my bit for the team, and hopefully I can help the other boys as well.' Veteran Wallabies prop James Slipper welcomed the likely return of Valetini, a two-time John Eales Medal winner. 'His size definitely helps – he's a really good player,' Slipper said of the 26-year-old ACT Brumbies back-rower. 'He gives a lot of boys around him a lot of confidence just the way he goes about his business.' Wallabies prop James Slipper has now played in two series against the British and Irish Lions. Picture: David Gray / AFP) Slipper suggested the Wallabies pack would also be boosted by the expected return of towering lock Will Skelton, who also missed the first Test with a calf problem. 'He (Valetini) won't be the only one that we'll be looking forward to seeing back out there this week. We've got a pretty full fit squad to pick from this weekend,' Slipper said. Slipper has now played in two series against the Lions after also being part of the Wallabies squad that lost 2-1 in 2013 when Australia won the second Test of the series – also in Melbourne – to ensure a decider a week later. 'The belief is there in the group. It's about diving into that and making sure we prepare really well,' he said. Originally published as Rob Valetini set to return from calf injury to play for Wallabies in do-or-die battle with British and Irish Lions

Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Tom Lynagh was smashed by the Lions in Brisbane. A Wallabies great wanted an immediate response
Veteran prop James Slipper said Australia have to meet the Lions 'on the edge' of the rule book in the second Test in Melbourne as former Test star Matt Burke questioned why no Wallabies responded with menace to a cheap shot on young five-eighth Tom Lynagh in Brisbane. Slipper pointed to a more ruthless attitude at the MCG by the Wallabies as key back-rower Rob Valetini confirmed his availability for the must-win clash. The grunt work of Valetini was missed at Suncorp Stadium, where the Lions physically dominated the Wallabies. Valetini said he felt on track to play after a calf injury but revealed coach Joe Schmidt had made the call not to risk the big back-rower for the first Test. 'I thought I would have been a shoo-in for the first Test but [it was] sort of a smart idea just to have a week off and get through some more training, a bit more loading through the calf,' Valetini said. 'It feels good to go.' The return of Valetini and Will Skelton will go a long way toward helping the Wallabies improve their physicality in the contact zone, and a more street-smart approach to the breakdown as well could help, in the eyes of Slipper. Slipper, 36, is the only survivor in the Wallabies from the 2013 series, when Australia rallied from a first Test loss in Brisbane to win in Melbourne. Slipper said the advice he would pass to the team is to 'being composed and relying on your preparation'. One area the Wallabies need to improve is matching the Lions in pushing the boundaries with the referee. Australian coaches throughout the whole Lions tour have been privately miffed about the sight of tourists repeatedly slowing down or impeding halfbacks by 'accidentally' being offside at the ruck, and Curry did it several times in Brisbane as well, without sanction.

The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
Tom Lynagh was smashed by the Lions in Brisbane. A Wallabies great wanted an immediate response
Veteran prop James Slipper said Australia have to meet the Lions 'on the edge' of the rule book in the second Test in Melbourne as former Test star Matt Burke questioned why no Wallabies responded with menace to a cheap shot on young five-eighth Tom Lynagh in Brisbane. Slipper pointed to a more ruthless attitude at the MCG by the Wallabies as key back-rower Rob Valetini confirmed his availability for the must-win clash. The grunt work of Valetini was missed at Suncorp Stadium, where the Lions physically dominated the Wallabies. Valetini said he felt on track to play after a calf injury but revealed coach Joe Schmidt had made the call not to risk the big back-rower for the first Test. 'I thought I would have been a shoo-in for the first Test but [it was] sort of a smart idea just to have a week off and get through some more training, a bit more loading through the calf,' Valetini said. 'It feels good to go.' The return of Valetini and Will Skelton will go a long way toward helping the Wallabies improve their physicality in the contact zone, and a more street-smart approach to the breakdown as well could help, in the eyes of Slipper. Slipper, 36, is the only survivor in the Wallabies from the 2013 series, when Australia rallied from a first Test loss in Brisbane to win in Melbourne. Slipper said the advice he would pass to the team is to 'being composed and relying on your preparation'. One area the Wallabies need to improve is matching the Lions in pushing the boundaries with the referee. Australian coaches throughout the whole Lions tour have been privately miffed about the sight of tourists repeatedly slowing down or impeding halfbacks by 'accidentally' being offside at the ruck, and Curry did it several times in Brisbane as well, without sanction.