Wales boss Warren Gatland Shocks Fans with Unexpected Defence of England Coach
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Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, has emerged as an unexpected defender of England boss Steve Borthwick after a weekend where critics seemed to come at Borthwick from every angle.
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The Criticism: Did Borthwick “Lose the Plot”?
England's narrow 24-22 loss to the All Blacks stirred up plenty of post-match chatter, especially after Borthwick substituted Marcus Smith with 18 minutes to go. Rugby icon Sir Clive Woodward didn't hold back, claiming Borthwick had "lost the plot" with victory in sight.
Former England Stars Join the Chorus
Rugby veterans Will Greenwood and Brian Moore also chimed in, voicing their concerns in their own columns, amplifying the debate around Borthwick's tactical decisions.
Gatland's Defense—A Complex Art
In his Telegraph column, aptly titled Criticism of Steve Borthwick's subs is unfair – everyone is a genius in hindsight, Gatland came to Borthwick's defence, shedding light on the complexity of substitutions.
"The art of substitution is a complex one, and hindsight makes all of us a genius at it," Gatland wrote. "Everyone is talking about England's inability to close out games, but that will come for them with experience."
Ford Under Pressure, But the Right Choice?
Gatland went on to highlight George Ford's skill under pressure, saying, "If there is one person you would be thinking about to nail those big moments, it would be George Ford." Gatland noted that Ford's calm, unflustered approach made him the right call, even if his crucial penalty and drop-goal attempt fell short.
"If either kick had gone over, Steve's decision to take off Marcus and replace him with George in the 62nd minute, as well as bringing on Harry Randall for Ben Spencer, would have been seen as a stroke of genius."
Ecstasy or Agony—No In-Between in Test Rugby
Gatland wrapped up with a nod to the unforgiving nature of Test rugby: "That is the thing with Test rugby, it is either ecstasy or agony.
“There is no middle ground. On Saturday night, England had the agony and New Zealand the ecstasy, but if either of George's kicks had been successful, it would have been the other way around."
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- RFU issues statements in defence of former boss Eddie Jones after allegations surface
- England team to play Australia: Borthwick names XV early again
- Ireland legend Brian O'Driscoll went viral for incident at an airport
- England forward has been handed a big ban following altercation with a fan
Can you name every England captain at a Rugby World Cup?
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