Rob Howley praised Warren Gatland – Rugby News Update
Rob Howley, the interim coach of Wales in the absence of regular coach Warren Gatland, has showered praise on his boss, who will miss the crucial tour of Australia due to an injury.
Speaking about the trip to Australia and Gatland, Howley was nothing but praise for the man who he assisted at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and the 2012 Six Nations.
Howley said, "He has been a huge mentor to me. It's immeasurable, really. I wouldn't be sat here if it wasn't for Warren. When you look at his CV and the trophies he has won, it speaks for itself.”
Wales reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, while triumphing at the Six Nations. He has big shoes to fill, while Gatland will be in his native New Zealand, recovering from a fracture in both his heels. He sustained the fracture in a freak accident while
he was vacationing in his homeland.
Howley understands the magnitude of the task ahead of him, and he announced a 38-man training squad ahead of next month’s clash against the Barbarians and the three-match test series in Australia. He is confident that his team’s recent Grand Slam victory
will give them onus to go to the southern hemisphere and defeat their opponents, which is a tough ask for any northern hemisphere team.
Howley feels that if they are able to achieve that it will be a huge boost for Welsh rugby. Commenting on the tour he said, "It would be a great achievement to win against a southern hemisphere team away from home, whether that is Australia, South Africa
or New Zealand. If you are going to talk about being involved in World Cup semi-finals and finals, I think winning in the southern hemisphere is something that should be on your agenda.”
The interim coach is in constant touch with Gatland and has clarified that Gatland is progressing well, and is advising him as necessary.
Howley is one of the legends of Welsh rugby, representing his country 59 times, in a career that spanned from 1996 till 2002. He will be working alongside Gatland till 2016, after he put pen to paper on a new deal recently.
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