HOWLEY: GATLAND WILL BE THE RIGHT MAN FOR WALES
Rob Howley believes his former Wasps coach Warren Gatland should be appointed as Welsh national team boss - claiming the New Zealander has the ability to put Wales back on the world rugby map.
Gatland, 44, has been touted as the front runner to succeed Gareth Jenkins for Wales, though World Cup winning coach Jake White is also being strongly linked after he declined to extend his contract with South Africa.
Howley, who won 59 caps at scrum-half for Wales, 22 as captain, thinks that the current technical director of Jonah Lomu's old club, Waikato Chiefs, is the right man to take the team forward.
"Warren's record speaks for itself," said the ex-scrum half. "He always knew in which direction he wanted to go as a coach."
"He was very good at putting the management team together while I was at Wasps with (fitness guru) Craig White and (backs' coach) Shaun Edwards."
The former Ireland coach won three consecutive Guinness Premiership titles while at Adams Park, as well as the Heineken Cup in 2004 against Toulouse - a game in which Howley scored the winning try.
"He had a great relationship with the players, and that helps in getting the squad to play for him. He can be dogmatic when he wants to be, and he can be an empowering coach when he wants," continued Howley, now on the coaching staff at home club Cardiff Blues.
"The main thing that players look for in a coach is honesty. Warren is certainly honest and quite frank with players in terms of their performance - good or bad.
"He's a good listener and very good at getting strategies and game plans in place so that players and coaches can play."
Howley added: "If it is Warren who is appointed then I am sure he will have great foresight in where the team want to be. He is very good at putting plans in place and getting the right team around him.
"The WRU want the best coach in place and for now it looks as though it is going to be a foreigner, which is fine.
"Alongside that it is important that a successful plan is put into place so that in five, six or seven years time, when whoever gets the job decides to move on, that there are firstly, Welsh coaches who want to take the job on and secondly, they have the ability to do so."
Rob Howley believes his former Wasps coach Warren Gatland should be appointed as Welsh national team boss - claiming the New Zealander has the ability to put Wales back on the world rugby map.
Gatland, 44, has been touted as the front runner to succeed Gareth Jenkins for Wales, though World Cup winning coach Jake White is also being strongly linked after he declined to extend his contract with South Africa.
Howley, who won 59 caps at scrum-half for Wales, 22 as captain, thinks that the current technical director of Jonah Lomu's old club, Waikato Chiefs, is the right man to take the team forward.
"Warren's record speaks for itself," said the ex-scrum half. "He always knew in which direction he wanted to go as a coach."
"He was very good at putting the management team together while I was at Wasps with (fitness guru) Craig White and (backs' coach) Shaun Edwards."
The former Ireland coach won three consecutive Guinness Premiership titles while at Adams Park, as well as the Heineken Cup in 2004 against Toulouse - a game in which Howley scored the winning try.
"He had a great relationship with the players, and that helps in getting the squad to play for him. He can be dogmatic when he wants to be, and he can be an empowering coach when he wants," continued Howley, now on the coaching staff at home club Cardiff Blues.
"The main thing that players look for in a coach is honesty. Warren is certainly honest and quite frank with players in terms of their performance - good or bad.
"He's a good listener and very good at getting strategies and game plans in place so that players and coaches can play."
Howley added: "If it is Warren who is appointed then I am sure he will have great foresight in where the team want to be. He is very good at putting plans in place and getting the right team around him.
"The WRU want the best coach in place and for now it looks as though it is going to be a foreigner, which is fine.
"Alongside that it is important that a successful plan is put into place so that in five, six or seven years time, when whoever gets the job decides to move on, that there are firstly, Welsh coaches who want to take the job on and secondly, they have the ability to do so."
Labels: Robert Howley, rugby union, Wales, Warren Gatland, WRU
