According to Warren Gatland, the group of players he has coached is capable of competing with any rugby team from any era.
The Wales head coach, who is 59 years old, selects only the players he genuinely respects when reflecting on his coaching experience. Below is the list of his dream team consisting of such players.
BACK-THREE:
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)
14. Shane Williams (Wales)
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu (New Zealand)
Gatland on Sivivatu: “Probably the best player I’ve ever coached, [who] played for the All Blacks, Waikato and Clermont, was Sitiveni Sivivatu,”
Gatland on Williams: “Probably pound-for-pound, Shane Williams. He had some incredible brilliant attacking attributes. But sometimes Shane could score three tries and let in two. But pound for pound he was unbelievable when he was at his best.”
CENTRES:
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
12. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
Gatland on O’Driscoll: “In his prime, he was absolutely outstanding in terms of his rugby knowledge and leadership. He was always able to make players around him look better than they were.”
