The immediate sense is that Ireland's task on the opening day of the Six Nations has just got more difficult:
Gatland speaks to Joe Schmidt in 2019. Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO THERE WON’T BE much of a settling-in period for Warren Gatland as he returns to the Wales job with just over nine months left until the World Cup kicks off. Time is of the essence.
The return of the 59-year-old New Zealander adds another layer of intrigue to the upcoming Six Nations, a championship in which France and Ireland look like being the front-runners. We know that the top level of Test rugby can change quickly these days though. It’s a volatile era. It’s also well-known that Gatland isn’t afraid to use the media to build pressure ahead of games. He regularly labelled Ireland as favourites ahead of battles in the past, which was often very accurate. He has also claimed in the past that his Welsh players disliked Ireland more than any other team. He has taken some heat back too.Gatland on Amazon Prime during the autumn Tests.
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