Gatland and Schmidt Renew Storied Rivalry Ahead of Crucial Clash
As the rugby world gears up for another thrilling encounter, the longstanding rivalry between Wales national team coach Warren Gatland and Australia coach Joe Schmidt takes center stage. The two iconic figures have faced off against each other 12 times, with Schmidt holding a clear advantage with seven wins compared to Gatland’s three, and one draw.
This rich history dates back to their days playing together in a New Zealand teachers school team, where Gatland was a hooker and Schmidt a wing. Since then, the pair have continued to go head-to-head, most notably when Schmidt was in charge of the Ireland national team.
After a stint with the All Blacks, where he helped guide them to the 2023 World Cup final before their defeat against South Africa, Schmidt has now taken the reins of the Australian national side. In a recent preview of this high-stakes clash, the Wallabies coach acknowledged the formidable challenge that awaits them against Gatland’s Wales, who narrowly missed out on several close encounters in the Six Nations.
“Both those games were tight, in Sydney and Melbourne,” Schmidt said. “Obviously, this time last year, Wales put 40 points on the Wallabies in the World Cup. It’s not like they’ve metamorphosed into a bad team. They got very close to a number of teams in the Six Nations. I’m expecting them to be incredibly hard to beat. They’re dogmatic with the way they go about their defensive work and they are very hard to break down.”
Only Graham Henry and Robbie Deans (15) and Michael Cheika and Steve Hansen (14) have faced each other more among tier one nations, underscoring the depth of this long-standing rugby union rivalry between Gatland and Schmidt.
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