Latest news with #Gatland
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Lions' Gatland gun leaves lasting mark on Bronco Ben
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." 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."
Perth Now
a day ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Lions' Gatland gun leaves lasting mark on Bronco Ben
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."
Wales Online
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Welsh-qualified talent turned down Gatland's approach for one big reason
Welsh-qualified talent turned down Gatland's approach for one big reason The England U20s star is one who got away from Wales England U20s hooker Kepu Tuipulotu in action against Wales U20s (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency ) Rising English rugby star Kepu Tuipulotu has lifted the lid on why he turned down Warren Gatland's offer of a place in Wales' Six Nations squad. The 19-year-old hooker was born in Pontypool to Tongan parents but qualifies for England on residency after taking up a scholarship at the prestigious Harrow School in London, resulting in the powerful forward representing England at age-grade level. Tuipulotu has made a huge impact for England U20s and has already acquired a handful of appearances for Gallagher Premiership winners Bath. Such is the teenager's potential Gatland offered him a place in the senior Wales squad for the 2024 Six Nations which he turned down. 'It was tough," he told RugbyPass. 'I lean on my dad quite heavily for guidance and wisdom. The main one was, I was still in school at the time. Article continues below "My mother is quite big on, there's a life after rugby, you've got to have a plan B. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. 'You back your abilities – everyone should – but having the confidence to make the right decision in my mind, and with my mum and dad backing me, they gave me the confidence to not say yes in terms of sticking with where I was, finishing my upper sixth year and travelling down the path of England rugby.' Tuipulotu's decision to represent England at senior international level is a severe blow for the Welsh Rugby Union and is mired in controversy. Following the World Rugby Council's decision in October 2023 to amend the eligibility criteria, Tuipulotu is allowed to represent England at senior level with immediate effect. Prior to last August, time spent in school or higher education did not count towards residency because the 60 months required to qualify to represent another nation needed to be unbroken. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. The recent law amendment means the 60-month qualification period does not need to be unbroken, which is a big problem for the WRU given the huge volume of talented Welsh players who have taken up scholarships in English schools. Despite having fond memories of his childhood in Wales Tuipulotu believes he can hit the big time with England. 'I keep myself accountable to those goals,' he told RugbyPass. 'Yes, I want to represent England and yes, the next four years, having that Lions opportunity, and be a regular starter for Bath. I visualise those goals and put myself in those situations. "If I'm good enough, I'm ready to go out and deliver.' He recalls family camping trips to north Wales where his determination and competitive spirit began to thrive. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free 'We'd have these touch rugby games and I'd be the first one to properly throw my body in but the first one to cry," he told RugbyPass. "It would start off touch, I'd slowly lose my head, be the first one to get bumped off or sat down and then cry. Winning was the only outcome. 'I'd hate losing to the point where I'd be crying and stroppy and want to go again and play against my sisters at whatever we did, or against the cousins in a bit of touch rugby. I'd be the most annoying bloke ever. 'Anything I did, I wanted to win. Even playing the Wii with my sisters. If I'd lose, I'd be like, 'let's go again', until the point I started absolutely battering them and they didn't want to play anymore. Article continues below "I was quite annoying and competitive until I got older and took rugby as a passion and a job.' England's gain is certainly Wales' loss.
Wales Online
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Rassie Erasmus makes shock Wales spying accusation as he tells Warren Gatland 'stop now'
Rassie Erasmus makes shock Wales spying accusation as he tells Warren Gatland 'stop now' The former Wales coach has once again spoken about accusations of spying by the Springboks during the 2021 Lions tour Former Wales head coach Warren Gatland and South Africa's Rassie Erasmus (Image: Getty Images) ) Rassie Erasmus has strongly denied allegations made by Warren Gatland that the Springboks spied on the British and Irish Lions during their 2021 tour of South Africa, labelling the claims as baseless and calling for an end to what he described as 'misinformation". Speaking after South Africa's 42-24 win over Italy at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, Erasmus, who also went on to accuse Wales themselves of spying in 2021, expressed his frustration over Gatland's accusations, which were detailed in the former Lions boss's latest column for The Telegraph. Gatland alleged that the Springbok camp rented a property overlooking the Lions' training facility and used a long-lens camera to film their preparations. He said suspicions within the Lions setup were confirmed when Lukhanyo Am produced a perfectly-timed hit on Elliot Daly during the opening Test. The former Wales coach also claimed Erasmus was seen on the pitch during a match, disguised as a water carrier, holding a sheet that appeared to include the Lions' attacking plays. 'One of the photographers captured a shot of him holding the paper next to Faf de Klerk,' Gatland wrote. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia. Article continues below 'We enlarged the image after the game and it looked like some of our moves and calls were on that sheet.' Gatland said the Lions were so concerned they relocated training sessions indoors to avoid being watched. 'We just didn't know how they could have so much information on us,' he added. Erasmus initially responded with sarcastic posts on social media, but after the win over Italy, he addressed the issue directly and called on Gatland to put an end to the claims. 'It must stop now,' Erasmus said. 'If we're going to go through every bizarre and unlikely story, there'll be a lot more of these kinds of tales. 'I don't want people thinking this kind of thing actually happens in rugby. "There are always strange rumours around training sessions and coaches trying to outsmart each other, but this is different. To make such a serious claim in a newspaper based purely on hearsay is irresponsible. "It just creates unnecessary tension. I'd like us to move on and stop discussing it all together.' Erasmus actually went on to accuse Wales of spying in the autumn of 2021, however Gatland was not head coach at that time. Article continues below The Springboks were forced to evacuate their Cardiff hotel twice overnight before playing Wales and Erasmus has now claimed information had been taken when they returned. Responding to a WalesOnline social media post, Erasmus said: 'I hear from a source from within the Wales [sic] camp that whilst we were evacuated all our notes and plans were photographed and the white board sheets taken. 'We were again forced at around 06h00 for [sic] another evacuation!!'
The South African
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Rassie Erasmus responds to accusations of 'cheating'
In a scathing column written by former British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland in The Telegraph this week, he openly – although without any real evidence – accuses Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks of spying on the Lions back in 2021. The Springboks secured a hard-fought 2-1 series win during that tour which was filled with controversies and challenges, and Gatland has now thrown another bombshell into the mix. Gatland suggested Erasmus was spotted with details of the team's tactics, and that he was told the Lions were being filmed from a house overlooking our training pitch. 'Our suspicions grew in the first Test, when Lukhanyo Am hit Elliot Daly with a massive man-and-ball tackle, reading a move that we had not used before during the tour matches,' Gatland wrote. 'Because there were no supporters in the stadium, we could hear what was being said in the Springboks' coaches box. We could hear the messages being relayed to their physio on the pitch about the moves that they thought we were doing. 'Rassie was also on the pitch acting as a 'water boy,' carrying a piece of paper. One of the photographers got a picture of him holding the page standing beside Faf de Klerk, their scrumhalf, and after the game, we enlarged the photo which showed that there were some of our moves and calls on it.' Taking to social media, Erasmus laughed off that example of the tackle by highlighting how it was a simple move with one skip pass that Am would have had no trouble reading without any inside knowledge. Rassie Erasmus also made two more sarcastic posts, jokingly suggesting that they could have also been subjected to 'spying' when they had to be evacuated from their hotel prior to a Test match in Wales due to a fire alarm. The former Lions coach went on to suggest that the famed touring team had been filmed and photographed from a covert location. 'The first Test experience seemed to confirm our fears. We just didn't know how they could have so much information on us. We started training indoors in a gym to negate the suspicion we had of being watched. But we still felt we were being filmed. 'Our concern was that they were using a long-range lens to video us from somewhere nearby. 'Later on, well after the tour had finished, I talked to someone who is well-connected in South Africa, who told me that a house that overlooked our training pitch had been rented for the duration of the series and that a long-lens camera had been placed in the top corner of the house to record us. 'It was so frustrating because you go on tour with plans to use different moves and options, but if the opposition knows what they are, they can plan to defend them. I am not sure in other sports like football it would have the same impact. I think there is a lot of it going on in the game at the minute.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
