Warren Gatland admits he wouldn’t have returned to Wales had he known full scale of problems

Problems on and off the field have meant a tough start to Gatland’s second stint as head coach

Warren Gatland returned as Wales head coach ahead of the 2023 Six Nations (Getty Images)

Warren Gatland has admitted that he would not have returned to Wales had he known the full scale of problems that rugby faced in the country.

The veteran New Zealander returned for a second stint in charge last December, replacing compatriot Wayne Pivac.

It had been hoped that Gatland could re-energise a struggling squad, but Wales have endured a horror six months that has included significant issues on and off the field.

A difficult Six Nations campaign saw Gatland’s side finish second from bottom, beating only Italy, while the campaign was also overshadowed by allegations of sexism within the WRU.

Welsh players also threatened to strike during the championship amid uncertainty over their contractual futures after budgets at the country’s four regions were slashed.

The problems have continued into the summer, with Gatland forced to omit talented centre Joe Hawkins from his World Cup training squad after he moved to Exeter, and experienced trio Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb all withdrawing from consideration ahead of this autumn’s tournament in France.

Gatland has now admitted to some degree of regret about his decision to take on the role for a second time, conceding he’d have turned the offer down had he known the issues faced.

Gatland has felt blindsided by a lot of the problems he has faced (Getty Images)

“When I came into the Six Nations, I had no idea. I didn’t realise a lot of the things that were going on and the issues that were behind rugby and the squad and the players,” Gatland told the Scrum V podcast. “At the time, if I had known, I would have made a different decision and probably gone somewhere else.

“Welsh rugby’s going to go through [more] pain from a financial perspective for the regions. These issues were here before, but there’s no doubt that the success of the national team in the past probably papered over the cracks.

“Now, probably for the better, they have come to the fore and there is a chance to focus on the things that needed fixing.

“There’s a great chance for us to have a really positive reset on a number of things. I feel like we’re in that place now that’s exciting with some of the young talent that’s coming through.”

The 59-year-old previously coached Wales between 2007 and 2019, leading the side to four Six Nations titles, including three grand slams, before bowing out after a semi-final exit at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Gatland named a 54-player training squad for this year’s tournament in May but has already been shorn of five players, with Cory Hill joining Jones, Tipuric and Webb in withdrawing, and prop Rhys Carre released.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old centre Hawkins was not part of the group after agreeing to move across the border to Exeter amid the ongoing uncertainty around his Ospreys contract last season.

Gatland has now suggested that the young playmaker’s decision particularly disappointed him.

“That’s the one that really disappoints me,” the Wales coach said of Hawkins’s move. “The others I can cope with because we’ve got depth in certain positions and people make those personal decisions for their families.

“But I was just really surprised that a 20-year-old would throw away the chance to be involved in international rugby, particularly a World Cup, which would have been huge for his development.

“Joe was a player that we were looking at for the future as a No 10. Neil Jenkins spoke to him and said: ‘I just don’t get it. Why are you giving away this chance? You’ve got a Lions tour in a couple of years that you could potentially be a part of.’”