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Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rassie Erasmus lost his head in Warren Gatland spat and dragged in Owen Farrell
The British and Irish Lions' 2021 tour to South Africa was steeped in controversy, largely due to the off-pitch behaviour of Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks chief went out of his way to provoke Lions head coach Warren Gatland and even involved Owen Farrell in his war of words. Erasmus, 52, notoriously brought match officials into question with a 62-minute-long video critique during that summer's Test series, which saw South Africa triumph 2-1. Additionally, he caused a stir by taking to the field as a water carrier to pass on tactics to his players while leading a South Africa A side in a warm-up game. Gatland, 61, expressed bewilderment over why Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk wasn't dismissed following a head-to-head collision in the 17-13 defeat. And he later said his team would seek "clarity" from the officials on the incident, as reported by Wales Online. In a bold retort, Erasmus, who was serving as South Africa's director of rugby, suggested a rematch, repeatedly branding the Lions as "scared" and "afraid" to face his team. This was merely the start of the head-to-head between the coaches, with Gatland also taking issue with Erasmus's antics disguised as a water boy. "I don't know, I think he was trying to wind us up saying we're scared," said the Kiwi post-match. "Sometimes he's capable of doing that. Last night he was the water boy running on the pitch – if you're the water boy running onto the pitch you've got make sure you're carrying water! "I didn't understand what his role was – you don't run onto the pitch giving messages as the waterboy without carrying water. My advice to him is to make sure he's carrying water next time he does that." Erasmus was suspended over a 62-minute-long video criticising the officials during the first 2021 Lions Test (Image: Vimeo) England stalwart Farrell, who joined this summer's tour of Australia as a controversial injury call-up, stirred controversy with several dubious tackles against South Africa A. Erasmus zeroed in on the fly-half, questioning what he perceived as overlooked instances of foul play. The initial incident involved Farrell wrestling De Klerk to the ground after the whistle had blown, which at the time went without sanction. Erasmus took to social media to share the clip, taking a thinly veiled swipe at Gatland's plea for clarity. "If there is time maybe also get absolute clarity and alignment on this one please," he wrote on X. "I know it's way after the whistle, but let's just align and get clarity to be sure." The second contentious moment came from a clash between Farrell and South Africa No. 8 Jasper Wiese. Once more, Erasmus believed Farrell had tackled too high, yet the match officials did not reprimand the Lions ace during the game. Erasmus took to social media to share footage of the incident and again made a jibe at Gatland's expense: "While you're at it, please get clarity on this also! ! Penalty or play on? We have to be 100 per cent sure and aligned! Can't agree more." At the time, a coach publicly questioning referees online was unheard of, but it became characteristic for Erasmus in 2021. He was subsequently handed a two-month ban from all rugby activities due to his hour-long dissection, yet he appeared not to take heed, receiving another suspension for similar transgressions a year later. Relations have been notably more amicable between current Lions coach Andy Farrell and Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt this summer. Other than a few minor disagreements regarding player availability for the warm-up games in Australia, there's been little animosity between them. However, the same might not be said for Farrell, who ignited a brawl within five minutes of his 2025 Lions debut against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday. This altercation could mark Farrell's final contribution to the Australian tour, but it was significant as he played a crucial part in securing a hard-fought 24-19 victory.
Irish Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Lions staff member was in hot water after tweet slamming boss resurfaced online
A British and Irish Lions staff member nearly booked themselves an early return ticket after a past tweet criticising their boss surfaced during a team quiz night. Luckily for the individual, then-head coach Warren Gatland took the dig in good humour. The incident unfolded while the Lions were on their 2021 tour of South Africa, fresh off a victory against the Springboks in the first Test of the series. The team was engaging in some light-hearted trivia to relax when the old tweet came back to haunt the staff member. The revelation came after Gatland, who had just seen his team win 22-17 in Cape Town, spoke about the camaraderie within the squad: "The players have been unbelievable, the staff as well," he said. "We had a quiz night last Thursday that [strength and conditioning coach] Huw Bennett had put together which was great fun, taking the Mickey out of a lot of the staff members. "One of the staff members had tweeted some stuff about me about eight or nine years ago, which wasn't too complimentary and he was mortified when it came up as one of the quiz questions. "I knew it was coming, it didn't bother me, I just laughed and got up and said, 'Whoever made that tweet is on the effing plane tomorrow so pack your bag!' He was mortified for the next hour." The identity of the coach in question is still unknown. However, their situation may serve as a warning about the dangers of players being too active on social media when it comes to potential employers. Gatland speaking to his Lions squad during the 2021 tour (Image:) The 2021 Lions needed all the unity they could gather against the consecutive world champions. Ultimately, South Africa managed to overturn the series by winning the last two Tests. Fast forward to the present day and it's Andy Farrell who has to handle such issues as the Lions head coach. The Ireland boss served as Gatland's deputy during previous Lions tours in 2013 and 2017, where they triumphed over Australia and drew with New Zealand, respectively. There might be members of his own coaching staff who have previously made critical comments about Farrell. However, the likelihood of this is perhaps reduced given that he has filled his coaching team with colleagues from the Ireland camp. Farrell, 50, has faced criticism from some quarters of the rugby community after selecting his son Owen halfway through the tour. The 112-cap England international was injured or out of form for most of last season at French club Racing 92. Andy Farrell is now in charge of the British and Irish Lions (Image:) Owen, 33, won't participate against the First Nations and Pasifika XV when the Lions play their final 'friendly' in Australia on Tuesday. This is before they challenge Australia in Melbourne this Saturday, with an opportunity to secure an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series. However, head coach Farrell is keen to learn from his past experiences. 'We do take encouragement from the display, but at the same time we know what is coming,' head coach Farrell said after his team's win over Australia. 'We know what happened in the second half here and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013. 'When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend. Not only was this Australia's second game and they'll be much better because of that, but also because of what it means to them and how proud they are. It'll mean the world to them. 'We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best. It will take a better performance than what we've shown here to make sure we get a win next week.'
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Warren Gatland didn't hold back in brutally honest remark to Mako Vunipola
Warren Gatland's man-management was famous in rugby and it proved to have the desired effect on Mako Vunipola during the British and Irish Lions tour in 2021 Warren Gatland's harsh dose of reality proved to be exactly what Mako Vunipola needed during the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour. The Saracens stalwart, who now plies his trade with French outfit Vannes, endured a torrid period leading up to that summer's expedition to South Africa. Saracens' relegation had left him battling in England's second division, while an achilles problem sidelined him from the opening round of that year's Six Nations championship. These setbacks meant the prop arrived for Lions duty lacking peak fitness. Gatland wasn't impressed with Vunipola's physical condition when he joined up with the squad ahead of their South African adventure. He wasted little time in delivering the sort of home truths that galvanise elite athletes. Despite his questionable preparation, Vunipola played a pivotal part in the Lions' thrilling 22-17 triumph over South Africa in the opening Test. His scrummaging impact after entering the fray as a substitute in Cape Town became a defining moment for the entire series. Following that victory, Gatland disclosed the frank exchange he'd had with the now 34-year-old, who called time on his international career in January 2024, prior to facing the Springboks. Gatland said: "We have been really pleased with Mako. "And I was really honest with him and just said, 'Mate, I didn't feel when you came into the squad that your fitness levels are as good as they should be for international rugby.' "He agreed with me and we have changed a bit of his scrummaging technique and him coming off the bench at the moment - he has made a huge impact. He has scrummaged exceptionally well, carries great, is a great defender and we will see what happens over the next few days." Vunipola may not have been present at the Lions' initial training camp in Jersey, but he certainly wasn't slacking, putting in the graft behind the scenes. Following Gatland's candid remarks, Vunipola shed some light on the efforts he had made to ramp up his fitness levels. He said: "Fitness is something I've always had to try and keep on top of since I started, really. It was obviously a step up, coming into the Lions camp having not been in for the first week of Jersey. "I knew that condition-wise I was in good hands with the strength and conditioning staff and the medical staff to get me to a place where I'm able to help the team. It's one of those things where there are no shortcuts, it's just hard work, extras off the field with the team around me." His sterling performance in the first test earned him a spot in the starting line-up for the second, where South Africa triumphed with a solid 27-9 scoreline. Vunipola was left out of the XV for the third test, but, much like the first, he came on as a substitute and aided the Lions in clinching a 19-16 victory. He wrapped up the tour with nine back-to-back test match appearances, marking his final stint with the Lions. In January 2024, Vunipola bid farewell to international test rugby, hanging up his boots with 79 caps for England under his belt. Throughout his illustrious career, the Kiwi-born star clinched the 2016 Six Nations Grand Slam and was part of the team that made it to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
Irish Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mako Vunipola was given brutally honest reality check in harsh Lions tour moment
Warren Gatland's tough love approach had a significant impact on Mako Vunipola during the 2021 British and Irish Lions Tour. The Saracens icon, who currently plays for French club Vannes, had an impressive international career, although 2021 was challenging for various reasons. The Sarries' relegation to the second tier of English rugby and an achilles injury that kept him out of the opening weekend of the 2021 Six Nations proved to be hugely challenging for the prop. Consequently, he reported for the Lions' tour of South Africa out of shape. Gatland was unimpressed with Vunipola's fitness upon joining the squad. It wasn't long before the former Wales head coach delivered a stark message any elite athlete would respond to. Having played a key part in the Lions clinching a 22-17 win over South Africa in the first test with his impactful scrummaging off the bench, Vunipola's performance proved instrumental for the tour. Gatland went on to open up about the frank exchange he had with Vunipola before the first test. He said: "We have been really pleased with Mako. "And I was really honest with him and just said, 'Mate, I didn't feel when you came into the squad that your fitness levels are as good as they should be for international rugby.' "He agreed with me and we have changed a bit of his scrummaging technique and him coming off the bench at the moment - he has made a huge impact. He has scrummaged exceptionally well, carries great, is a great defender and we will see what happens over the next few days." Vunipola retired from international rugby in January 2024 (Image: 2021 MB Media) Vunipola wasn't present at the Lions' Jersey training camp during its initial phase, but he still pursued his own conditioning drills in private. Following Gatland's frank remarks, Vunipola disclosed his efforts to enhance his physical readiness. He said: "Fitness is something I've always had to try and keep on top of since I started, really. It was obviously a step up, coming into the Lions camp having not been in for the first week of Jersey. "I knew that condition-wise I was in good hands with the strength and conditioning staff and the medical staff to get me to a place where I'm able to help the team. It's one of those things where there are no shortcuts, it's just hard work, extras off the field with the team around me." Vunipola had a huge effect from the bench in the first test in 2021 (Image: 2021 Getty Images) His stellar performance in the first test earned him a spot in the starting line-up for the second, which saw South Africa triumph with a decisive 27-9 scoreline. Vunipola was left out of the XV for the third test, but, mirroring the first match, he came on as a substitute and aided the Lions in clinching a 19-16 win. He concluded the tour with nine successive test match appearances, marking his final stint with the Lions. Vunipola bid farewell to international test rugby in January 2024, retiring with 79 caps for England under his belt. Throughout his career, the Kiwi-born star clinched the 2016 Six Nations Grand Slam and was part of the team that made it to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
The Advertiser
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Lions' Gatland gun leaves lasting mark on Bronco Ben
Brisbane assistant coach Ben Te'o credits his stint as a player with the British and Irish Lions under legendary mentor Warren Gatland as life-changing in his new role. Te'o, who also played for Queensland in the State of Origin arena, had a stellar career in two codes as a player before embarking on his coaching dream. It was under Gatland, regarded as one of the greatest rugby coaches of all time, that Te'o toured New Zealand in 2017 in a three-Test series drawn 1-1. He played inside centre in the 30-15 win in the first Test against the All Blacks, and came off the bench in a 15-15 draw in the final Test. Te'o, who also played 18 rugby Tests for England, said Gatland and rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett, who he was assistant coach under at the Dolphins, shared a lot in common. "I'd always heard Warren Gatland was a great man manager and great at bringing teams together, and I had the opportunity to experience that and play the All Blacks, such an incredible tour to go on," Te'o told AAP. "At the time everyone feared them, but by the time we had been through our camps in New Zealand there was a real strong belief that we could get the job done. "Once I got into coaching myself, I used a lot of things I learned from Warren, and then once I started working with Wayne I saw the similarities between the two and why they were successful." Gatland taught Te'o plenty about the building blocks of success."One of the things that is really important in coaching is building team chemistry from the get-go, and Warren did a great job of giving the team free time to have a beer and socialise and build team camaraderie first. Wayne does that too," Te'o said."The second thing is being able to convince a team that they are going to win and how they will win. "I remember Warren talking about how we would beat the All Blacks and where we could catch them by surprise, what our strengths were and how the games would play out. When a coach talks like that you leave the room thinking 'we can do this'"We ended up sharing the trophy, but the Lions shocked the All Blacks after no one gave us a chance." Te'o never got to play the Wallabies on a Lions tour, but there are no regrets."To be honest, when you line up the tours against the Wallabies, Springboks or All Blacks I am taking the All Blacks," he said. "They were the best and had the biggest aura around them. They were two years off winning the World Cup for the second time in a row. There was nothing better." This year's State of Origin series has just been won 2-1 by the Maroons, and now the Wallabies take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night, with the build-up at fever pitch. Te'o understands the enormity of the occasion intimately."My career is split in half between rugby league and rugby union. For me to reach those heights in rugby union is special," he said. "When I played State of Origin I thought that was the biggest thing I would ever experience. Once I went on a Lions tour I realised there is something else out there that is similar in terms of how big the build-up is and how much people get behind it. I was lucky to experience those two events." Brisbane assistant coach Ben Te'o credits his stint as a player with the British and Irish Lions under legendary mentor Warren Gatland as life-changing in his new role. Te'o, who also played for Queensland in the State of Origin arena, had a stellar career in two codes as a player before embarking on his coaching dream. It was under Gatland, regarded as one of the greatest rugby coaches of all time, that Te'o toured New Zealand in 2017 in a three-Test series drawn 1-1. He played inside centre in the 30-15 win in the first Test against the All Blacks, and came off the bench in a 15-15 draw in the final Test. Te'o, who also played 18 rugby Tests for England, said Gatland and rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett, who he was assistant coach under at the Dolphins, shared a lot in common. "I'd always heard Warren Gatland was a great man manager and great at bringing teams together, and I had the opportunity to experience that and play the All Blacks, such an incredible tour to go on," Te'o told AAP. "At the time everyone feared them, but by the time we had been through our camps in New Zealand there was a real strong belief that we could get the job done. "Once I got into coaching myself, I used a lot of things I learned from Warren, and then once I started working with Wayne I saw the similarities between the two and why they were successful." Gatland taught Te'o plenty about the building blocks of success."One of the things that is really important in coaching is building team chemistry from the get-go, and Warren did a great job of giving the team free time to have a beer and socialise and build team camaraderie first. Wayne does that too," Te'o said."The second thing is being able to convince a team that they are going to win and how they will win. "I remember Warren talking about how we would beat the All Blacks and where we could catch them by surprise, what our strengths were and how the games would play out. When a coach talks like that you leave the room thinking 'we can do this'"We ended up sharing the trophy, but the Lions shocked the All Blacks after no one gave us a chance." Te'o never got to play the Wallabies on a Lions tour, but there are no regrets."To be honest, when you line up the tours against the Wallabies, Springboks or All Blacks I am taking the All Blacks," he said. "They were the best and had the biggest aura around them. They were two years off winning the World Cup for the second time in a row. There was nothing better." This year's State of Origin series has just been won 2-1 by the Maroons, and now the Wallabies take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night, with the build-up at fever pitch. Te'o understands the enormity of the occasion intimately."My career is split in half between rugby league and rugby union. For me to reach those heights in rugby union is special," he said. "When I played State of Origin I thought that was the biggest thing I would ever experience. Once I went on a Lions tour I realised there is something else out there that is similar in terms of how big the build-up is and how much people get behind it. I was lucky to experience those two events." Brisbane assistant coach Ben Te'o credits his stint as a player with the British and Irish Lions under legendary mentor Warren Gatland as life-changing in his new role. Te'o, who also played for Queensland in the State of Origin arena, had a stellar career in two codes as a player before embarking on his coaching dream. It was under Gatland, regarded as one of the greatest rugby coaches of all time, that Te'o toured New Zealand in 2017 in a three-Test series drawn 1-1. He played inside centre in the 30-15 win in the first Test against the All Blacks, and came off the bench in a 15-15 draw in the final Test. Te'o, who also played 18 rugby Tests for England, said Gatland and rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett, who he was assistant coach under at the Dolphins, shared a lot in common. "I'd always heard Warren Gatland was a great man manager and great at bringing teams together, and I had the opportunity to experience that and play the All Blacks, such an incredible tour to go on," Te'o told AAP. "At the time everyone feared them, but by the time we had been through our camps in New Zealand there was a real strong belief that we could get the job done. "Once I got into coaching myself, I used a lot of things I learned from Warren, and then once I started working with Wayne I saw the similarities between the two and why they were successful." Gatland taught Te'o plenty about the building blocks of success."One of the things that is really important in coaching is building team chemistry from the get-go, and Warren did a great job of giving the team free time to have a beer and socialise and build team camaraderie first. Wayne does that too," Te'o said."The second thing is being able to convince a team that they are going to win and how they will win. "I remember Warren talking about how we would beat the All Blacks and where we could catch them by surprise, what our strengths were and how the games would play out. When a coach talks like that you leave the room thinking 'we can do this'"We ended up sharing the trophy, but the Lions shocked the All Blacks after no one gave us a chance." Te'o never got to play the Wallabies on a Lions tour, but there are no regrets."To be honest, when you line up the tours against the Wallabies, Springboks or All Blacks I am taking the All Blacks," he said. "They were the best and had the biggest aura around them. They were two years off winning the World Cup for the second time in a row. There was nothing better." This year's State of Origin series has just been won 2-1 by the Maroons, and now the Wallabies take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night, with the build-up at fever pitch. Te'o understands the enormity of the occasion intimately."My career is split in half between rugby league and rugby union. For me to reach those heights in rugby union is special," he said. "When I played State of Origin I thought that was the biggest thing I would ever experience. Once I went on a Lions tour I realised there is something else out there that is similar in terms of how big the build-up is and how much people get behind it. I was lucky to experience those two events."
