Warren Gatland has ruled himself out of ever coaching the British and Irish Lions again after overseeing their 1-1 draw in New Zealand.
The 54-year-old has a contract as Wales coach until the end of the 2019 World Cup and will then make a decision on his future.
But that future, he has revealed, will definitely not include taking charge of another Lions’ tour. The Lions next tour South Africa in 2021.
“I’m done. Let someone else reinvent the wheel,” Gatland told BBC.
“I hated the tour. I did. I just hated the press and the negativity in New Zealand.
“When I look back on it now, there were a lot of things that were satisfying and what an achievement it was, but it was tough work. It was hard.”
Gatland had initially suggested he would be prepared to take charge for a third time in 2021, but when asked on Monday, he said: “I wouldn’t subject myself to that.
“What I’ve learned from my Lions experiences is how difficult it is to put some continuity together in terms of people and staff, and the lack of preparation time. Let someone else do it.”
One of the things that could be tweaked about the tour, according to Gatland, is giving the coaching staff more time to prepare.
“A minimum is having a week in the UK before you go, and then trying to arrive there a minimum of five days before the first game,” he said. “That wouldn’t be ideal, but it would be adequate.
“That is all we are asking for – adequate preparation – to give yourself the best chance of doing well.”
Gatland also broke his silence on the criticism levelled at him by Lions flanker Sean O’Brien who said the team could have won the series 3-0 with better coaching.
“It took a bit of the gloss off the tour,” Gatland said. “It really, really did hurt.”
Gatland said he subsequently rang O’Brien and they had exchanged texts but added: “I’ve not heard back from him.
“You take 41 players on tour and you are not going to keep everyone happy. There are going to be players disappointed, feeling they haven’t had a chance or an opportunity. I understand that. That’s the nature of professional sport.
“There is no doubt Sean O’Brien had a fantastic tour. He played exceptionally well. There is no doubt about his contribution on the playing field. He was excellent.
“In the changing room, as a voice, from a leadership point of view, he contributed extremely well. It’s only fair to acknowledge that.”
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