By DAVID LONG - Sunday News - | Monday, 03 March 2008
Warren Gatland - the former Waikato coach sparking a rugby revival in Wales - has launched a stinging attack on attitudes in New Zealand and claims he "gets embarrassed by Kiwi arrogance".
The 44-year-old former hooker says Welsh stars have been cocooned and put on a pedestal - and accuses the All Blacks of being no different.
In hard-hitting interviews with a Welsh newspaper and Sunday News, he said that ...
* The All Blacks have little respect for and knowledge of their opponents.
* Aussie assistant coach Scott Johnson was right to call New Zealand "two poxy little islands in the Pacific" when he worked with Wales in 2004.
* Kiwis have an over-inflated opinion of themselves.
* We need to be more open-minded about what is happening elsewhere in the world.
* He was frustrated at not getting the chance to coach in the Super 14.
"As Kiwis, we sometimes have such high opinions of ourselves and what a difference we make in the world, or what difference we make in politics or sport, and the reality is we don't," said Gatland, who has also coached Ireland and the Wasps club in London.
"I've seen it in the past and have also been involved in it ... how many All Blacks would know the players in the Wales team if they were playing them tomorrow?
"I get embarrassed about Kiwi arrogance at times and we need to be more aware of things."
And Gatland believes that self-obsessed culture pervades right through to the All Blacks.
"It's a real negative about New Zealand and the All Blacks," he blasted.
"You have to do your homework on the opposition teams. I think they don't do that enough and they aren't aware of what else is going on around the world.
"When you have been away for a while you can put all of that in context.
"I think that's because we're so isolated. Yes, we're successful but do we change anything, do we change the politics of other countries, does our economy influence the world economy? No, it doesn't.
"For me, it's about us being a bit more open-minded about the rest of the world.
"We're not that important and there are a lot of other good things happening around the world.
"I get embarrassed about Kiwi arrogance at times and I think we need to be aware of things."
Earlier in the week Gatland told the Wales on Sunday newspaper New Zealand was suffering from an over-inflated idea of itself.
"Like Scott Johnson (former Wales and Wallabies assistant coach) said, we are just a couple of poxy islands in the Pacific. New Zealanders who haven't travelled think we make a difference in the world.
"We don't make a squat of difference. Our views politically aren't important, nobody takes notice of us."
Gatland has had the Midas touch since taking over from Gareth Jenkins as head coach after their failed World Cup campaign.
He has already achieved something Graham Henry and Steve Hansen failed to do defeat England at Twickenham and Wales are two wins away from recording an historic Grand Slam.
He has been applauded in the press in everything from his team selections to choosing to use the away team's changing room at the Millennium Stadium.
Gatland says he hasn't had problems dealing with the hype around him and living in the fishbowl of the Welsh media where every move is scrutinised.
"In a strange way this is not unfamiliar territory for me," he said.
"Having come from the Waikato and not being in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch I've felt I've always had to fight in my corner pretty hard," he said. "It's similar ground to having gone to Ireland and Wasps.
"Coming into Wales where I've seen some potential, but know it needs to be harnessed, is a situation I've known before.
"I've spent quite a few years coaching in the northern hemisphere and I think I understand the culture and how things work.
"It's quite positive this is happening. What disappointed me about going back home is that I was at Waikato for three seasons and there hadn't been an opportunity to do Super 14, even though I was involved as an assistant.
"And when an international job came along I thought it was going to be at least another two years before I had a chance in the Super 14, so I didn't feel like I could turn this opportunity down."
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