We've got to win in South Africa, let's hope so

He decided to do the opposite and pick a representative team for the 2021 tour. More Scots in the test team (starting 15 and 23) than Welsh players, despite Wales being Six Nations champions in 2021 (and 2019). In hindsight, Gatland shouldn't have been the man to manage the 2021 tour if it was always intended to be a rebranding tour, one where they picked Scottish players who weren't good enough to try to quell the anger from the Scottish media at the fact Scotland are the odd one out of the 4 Lions nations. The next tour will probably have Andy Farrell as head coach and he should have been there this time, along with Townsend and a few Welsh and English coaches. The test teams picked in all 3 tests in 2021 are the exact opposite of what he's done in the past, which gives an insight in to the fact he took more of a back seat this time and let Townsend have his say on selection. It was all a bit of a mess and a massive missed opportunity (both in planning or delaying the tour so fans were there, and in selection). The South Africa tour is the best Lions tour and they got 2021 badly wrong.

He's a total fraud, barely beat the worst Australian team of all time, fell into the sexton Farrell pivot that saved the NZ tour but still required savea to bottle two tries they score 999/1000 times and a dodgy ref call in the last test. Then his masterpiece, looking at South Africa, a huge monstrous team that had only ever looked in trouble when the ABs and Scotland managed to get to the outside 15m and said "right boys we're going to bosh these lads up the middle and boot the ball they won't cope" and produced simultaneously the most tactically inept and boring tour we've ever seen. The BOD selection was pure bitterness too he had huge favouritism for Welsh players, BOD and Davies couldnt click together at all, Davies overran every single line all tour but then got the nod only to contribute little to nothing in the 3rd test, not that he was poor it was just a meaningless decision really in the end. But sending BOD out to do press was poor poor taste. He had great success with Wales using a huge generation of players to just run straight and he had the kickers to round that simple gameplan but he has failed everywhere else he went where he couldn't do that. For sacrificing all the tradition which he did, he won 1 tour out of 3 playing again the worst Aussie team weve seen in the professional era. That's not enough of a return to justify sullying the spirit of the lions.

Ya was at that game also

I feel that Gatland has consistently picked his favorite, core Welsh players during the Lions tours, surronded them with the best from the rest of the Lions nations, which has helped the Welsh players to understand that they can compete and beat the southern nations. Up to that 3rd test, Davies had been poor, albeit outta position at 12. BOD at 13 would have been fine with Roberts.

Case in point Gatland told POC during the 2013 tour that AWJ would start and he had to fight out with the English bloke, can;t remember his name. During the tour he also teased POC telling him "look how fit the Welsh players are." That doesnt sound like a coach who was focused on the lions, promoting the Welsh players was always in the back of his mind.

@wildebest yes I do and you just proved the irrational praise of the tackle. Fires you up for sure, but that is fleeting. Losing a great player was permanent

Canadian Content what was the result in the end??

That's ridiculous, the win wasn't vindicated by O'Driscoll not playing. They won because they played better, and probably would have had O'Driscoll started. It's funny how many think that win is because one player "wasn't" playing 😂😂 As if one of the best players to ever play rugby had he been playing then the lions would have lost all because he was selected 😂

Ah sure off the ball would have paid him well....he will survive

Name your top three, please?

@@KPP365 I should of said top 10 players , Scot Gibbs would be in the top three , if its on Lions , Adam jones , Keith wood , , Martin Johnson , Lawrence dallaglio , Justin tipuric , Jason Robinson , Neil Jenkins . Cian Healy , Tadhg furlong. I could probably add another 20 players .

@patbassman8251 Some great players, no doubt. Six nations this time around ? Ireland or Wales for me ?

@@KPP365 Wales are in a dark place right now could even be the end of an era ,complete lack of talent a lot of the quality player are old and retiring . Ireland are a class act and can beat any team on the day they are class.

Because he had "one" poor game previous !! I think not even selecting him on the bench was the real indication of how much Gatland still harbours a bitterness towards Ireland and Irish players because of how he got sacked from the Irish coaching job...he even mentions it in this interview without being asked about it ! He done the same with Peter o Mahony last tour, made him captain for the test and when they lost O'mahony was dropped and scapegoated for the loss. He pretty much made the Welsh national side want to beat Ireland since he took over above any other team.

Decisions were made to win matches. With regards to POM, it was explained that the difference with him and Warburton was NZ ball was twice as slow time wise to be recycled, something like 5 seconds to recycle compared to just over 2, a huge difference at test level, this allowed the lions defence to regroup. The results speak for themselves.

@@dbuckley100 nice to see you didn’t listen to anything either of them said in this video then

BOD was poor in 2nd test. he seemed off the pace. as some player in his day

No

Welsh? 🤣

as an irish man and obvious fan of BOD i agree - i was dissappointed with his reaction. for someone who had been "imppecable" in his conduct all career - he should have just took it on the chin and not so personally.

Gatland is a horrid creature. Him and bod had issues. The team selection was a reflection those issues.

Its a professional sport, the best must play especially considering the third test was a decider, its not about pleasing a player. Also Gatland had the decency to tell him in person first.

& then I got over the Irish / public media Bitchin post-hype after Chicargo 2017 FYI Kiwi's cheered for the Irish as they smashed the AB's that day.. but never again!

Nonsense, a true rugby head and a true sportshead would realise the tough decisions at top level sport that need to be made. BOD was off the pace and needed to be dropped and proven it was the right decision.

Mind your own kiwi businesses. I remind you lot of Andy Haden 78' but you keep putting it to one side. Take it Kiwi if you dish it out.

westsideAUKILANI What an absolute load of rubbish it’s all about winning at the top level

Andrew O'Brien the week before it was a wayward O Driscoll pass that sealed the second match for the wallabies...

Hardly 'lucky' things went his way. We can't know what would've happened had BOD been selected, but the fact the Lions won is enough to justify the selection.

Pretty lucky indeed.

@@inBODwetrust13 Voted player of the series on Lions tour of New Zealand 2017 by fellow team mates but nah not world class. Sit down.

Made no difference. Lions would still have won comfortably.

God, the Irish are so petty and are some of the worst rugby fans.

Electronic Goat how?

He should've had a sub position the match was def won before the last 15 - a legend of the Northern Hemisphere poorly treated by a bitter coach - hope Schmidt gets the AB job ahead of him

I would argue Jonathan Davies has been the outstanding player in British and Irish rugby for about 5 years, and should really have been awarded world player of the year in 2017.

@@rossgeography They didn't know before the game that it would be won before the last 15 did they... Each of the first two games had been decided by a single kick, and Tuilagi is undoubtedly more of an impact player against tired legs.

i dont think it was like that.....it was a tactical decision that paid off...

Nope Gats loves Ireland..He was shafted. Who shafted him...

Not much of a rugby fan there are you 🤔🤔🤔

Cept keeps on bitching bout that 2005 spear tackle in NZ when Lions were smashed by AB's!

Grow up!

He was a great player. A lot of international players are "good"

@@bigboi2008uk He was pretty good. Jonathan Davies was a better Player though at the time and that's why he was picked.

😴😴😴

What behaviour? It was the correct call.

He comes out of it as a coach who made correct call.Remind me of the score,and Jonathan Davies didn’t do to bad did he?

What a dumb comment lmao

first 2 tests davies at 12 and o driscoll wasn't working davies hands aren't good enough for 12 should have tried o driscoll at 12 therefore straight choice at 13 he was the best centre on the tour davies clearly

The lions won😴😴😴

Shameful the way Ireland and BOD reacted no one bigger than team BOD was crap in 2nd test end of

cept Gatland steps up against the AB's in 2017 & gives the Lions a 50% chance of whiining (anyone know how to spell complaing wit a W??).

& then there's the incessant whining from that Lions 13 over the spear tackle (fair enough.. move on).

Irish by any chance Garrett?

I think the only plonker is u my friend

The lions won you moron!