No doubting Thomas
21 Feb 2006
Welsh captain Gareth Thomas left no one in doubt that he had issues with Grand Slam-winning coach Mike Ruddock, who dramatically quit a week ago.
Thomas, in a television interview, also confirmed (through his statements) that there were issues between Ruddock and the players and at the heart of it is the player perception that Ruddock won the Six Nations for Wales and not the players.
“Why should I have to say what my issue with Mike is, when Mike knows it and I know it? I have played 11 years for Wales, I have given everything. What we need to remember here is it wasn’t just Mike who won the Grand Slam and who won all the games. We actually laced our boots up and other coaches came in and helped.”
Ruddock, who coached Wales to 13 wins from 20 Tests in charge, including victories over Australia, England and France, is set to raise a number of points which could embarrass WRU chief executive Steve Lewis, promoted from within the governing body after David Moffett stepped down in December.
“I will raise the issue of why it was that we went into the Six Nations without having in place contracts for any of the three Grand Slam-winning coaching team (Ruddock, Johnson and defence expert Clive Griffiths), particularly having already lost fitness coach Andrew Hore,” Ruddock said.
“If there were disaffected players I will raise the issue of any support structure that should have been in place to deal immediately and appropriately with the matter,” he also told the Western Mail, Wales’s national newspaper.
As for his coaching record, Ruddock added: “Rugby fans in Wales who watched my coaching career since I started by winning the Monmouthshire League at Blaina nearly 20 years ago, know I have had sustained success during it.
“For example, two championships at Swansea, plus one Welsh Cup triumph, and a victory over world champions Australia in 1992.
“In Leinster, I won the Irish inter-provincial championship and also managed three wins in Europe against Leicester, one of which was at Welford Road.
“I saw my role when I took over as Wales coach in the spring of 2004 as fixing the key areas that weren’t operating to their potential, notably the scrum, line-out and defence… I think the public saw the improvement during the Six Nations Grand Slam-winning campaign of last year.
“As Sir Clive Woodward (England’s World Cup-winning coach) said the other day, the role of head coach is more that of a manager, empowering others to put your plans into action. I think I have done that pretty effectively.”
7 Comments
21 Feb 2006, 10:38 am
Gareth Thomas was one of several who made complete and utter fools of themselves in that tragic British Lions wipeout tour to NZ in 2005. He’s a talentless clot.
21 Feb 2006, 10:57 am
i see your mirth is not reserved for south africans only.
tell me, what exactly have you achieved in your life that makes you such an authority?
21 Feb 2006, 11:04 am
Gareth Thomas should concentrate more on learning to tackle than smear campaigns
The guy is so poor defensively i would invite members of the crowd to take turns as my last line of defence rather than risk him.
21 Feb 2006, 12:08 pm
Gareth Thomas should see a freeking dentist my friend….. That should be the mans first priority..
21 Feb 2006, 14:16 pm
bokpiel he needs a denture
21 Feb 2006, 17:30 pm
Munikoboy surly you know you wont get a reply from that Plonker regading what he has achieved (apart from his only conquest – shagging a sheep that was slipping of a cliff in NZ)
GT was one of the few players on the LIONS tour to totally embarress the NZ defense with a great try. The rest was the other way around lol.
21 Feb 2006, 23:24 pm
The Lions lost THREE zip in New Zealand. And every test was lost by a country mile. Those poor clods didn’t even come close. They were absolutely snotted every time.
And their world cup winning beknighted coach declared before they left their home shores that this was the best prepared team he had ever had the pleasure of coaching. They didn’t even realise what rubbish they were until they got to NZ. And then NZ went up north at the tired and worn out end of year tour and in consecutive weekends whipped all four “home unions” in a triumphant “Grand Slam”, just to rub salt in their wounds.
Now THAT teaches everyone quite emphatically just who is the big boss in world rugby.
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