Clive Woodward accuses Gatland of making ‘big mistake’ that cost Wales victory over England
The Wales boss made a call on 55 minutes that Sir Clive Woodward feels tipped the contest at Twickenham in England’s favour
Former England boss Sir Clive Woodward says Warren Gatland’s decision to take off Elliot Dee and Keiron Assiratti ultimately cost them victory at Twickenham.
England overcame a 14-5 deficit to win 16-14 in a highly tense match on Saturday, while Wales suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of their fierce rivals.
With two losses out of two in their Six Nations campaign, this young Wales team now sits a daunting trip to Dublin to take on the hot favourites, Ireland.
Despite England’s performance, World Cup champion Woodward acknowledges in his Daily Mail column that he wasn’t very impressed by Gatland’s decision to substitute Dee and Assiratti, which allowed the home team to restore the lead.
He also criticized Wales and England for their incessant “rebuilding” discourse, calling it a “cop out” that serves as an explanation for their inability to win games—something he believes should never occur in the Six Nations.
“England were too predictable against Wales,” he stated. “Warren Gatland and his group squandered a significant chance. It all comes back to the topic of rebuilding.
“Wales’ scrum and line-out was going very well. But then Gatland decided to take off hooker Elliot Dee and tighthead prop Keiron Assiratti on 55 minutes. It was a big mistake because from there, the Welsh scrum and line-out unravelled.
“England’s forwards got on top and it allowed George Ford to control the game and get his team over the line. I just shake my head when coaches make decisions like that. Dee had to stay on the field. When he and Assiratti came off, it didn’t look like they’d gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson! They could and should have carried on.
“That call wasn’t necessary for Gatland to make, and it may have cost Wales the match. The same thing was done by Borthwick and it cost England dearly in the World Cup semi-final against South Africa last year. Wales and Gatland have now committed the same cardinal sin, which was a serious mistake. Coaches need to understand that it takes time for replacements to catch up.
“I believe that if Gatland had his time again, he would have kept Dee and Assiratti on, even though it was obvious that he intended to give rookie prop Archie Griffin a debut and Test experience.
Should those two players have persevered, England might have still prevailed in the match. However, we’ll never find out.”
