Gatland says that he’ll decide his future soon
Wales coach, Warren Gatland, says he will get his future sorted out and reveal his plans following 2011.
Discussions between Gatland's representatives and the Wales Rugby Union team have been going on in an attempt to get Gatland to sign a contract up until 2015.
This would mean that Gatland would stay in charge of the Wales side until the next World Cup, after 2011. But some are suggesting that the Wales boss does not want to make such a long commitment. Gatland has promised that all will be revealed very soon.
Development of Wales
It's very important to the future development of Wales that Gatland remains as the coach. If he is allowed to leave without a fight after 2011, then it will mean a complete transformation process when a new coach comes in. Gatland is in the middle of training Wales to beat the best in the world. He has a vision and plan for the side that would be deemed pointless if he fails to sign a longer contract. Wales is a very good rugby team and Gatland has managed to assemble a squad that is filled with key players.
Wales played poorly against New Zealand earlier this summer, putting a lot of pressure on Gatland. But the Kiwis are the best side in the world at the moment, and Gatland can’t really be blamed for the loss.
Gatland has said that, "It's only fair for everyone that I make the decision over the next month. There have been a lot of talks with Roger [Lewis] about a possible extension. I have to weigh it up with family pressure to return to New Zealand where they're quite keen to have their Dad home." Gatland added, "...but I have to say I've loved my time here, it's been fantastic. Testing at times and challenging, but that's part of international rugby. There's a big part of me that wants to stay. On our summer tour [of New Zealand] we were finding that our tight forwards were running 2km further than they would in any other match."
The most likely outcome
The most likely outcome is that Gatland will sign a short-term, temporary contract that will extend to just after the 2011 World Cup. This could secure him as coach until the end of 2012 or 2013.
It’s hard to predict. Wales may perform quite badly at the World Cup, and then there will be a lot of people calling for Gatland to be sacked. If this happens, then the WRU will find themselves with a large contract pay-out on their hands.
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