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British Lions: Warren Gatland needs to get his priorities right

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Pablo Luna - Moonlighting for Betfair. Pablo looks at the ongoing debate surrounding Warren Gatland's potential appointment as British Lions coach.

Success in top class sport depends on hard work, total dedication and absolute concentration, anything less heightens and speeds failure. With that being the case, why would the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) sanction absenteeism?

Wales coach Warren Gatland says he has spoken to Ian McGeechan about a role on next year's 2009 Lions tour and is now waiting for an official approach. I have the utmost respect for this fantastic coach but I think this is a grave mistake.

Rugby union is the national sport of Wales with a specific hold on the national psyche and culture. It is far too important for their coach to go on a jaunt. Straddling two duties inevitably dilutes attention and his position as Wales coach will be compromised!

WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis, who has given his personal backing for Gatland to go on tour has compounded the mistake. The WRU are responsible for the running of Welsh rugby and their 293 member clubs and here lies the priority. I do not believe his job description (and I have looked) includes the sanctioning of unwarranted absence.

Lewis may argue that the WRU has a major role in the development of coaches. I would argue that Warren Gatland is already the finished article and his four-year contract remit includes ensuring that Wales remain a true rugby power. This has to be achieved by working closely with the regional coaches and the WRU elite team to capture talent early and develop players to their fullest potential.

Lewis said: "The reason I'd support Gatland going on the Lions tour is because Warren is such a rounded guy - he's so together, so focused." That's the platitudes out of the way but what has that got to do with coaching for his employers - Wales?

Apart from some short-term kudos what is there to gain? Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson having time off with Great Britain Football Club as a secondary advisor to the manager while Manchester United has a pre season tour? No, of course not!

The last time a Welsh rugby coach tried this nonsense was Graham Henry on the 2001 Lions' trip to Australia. It backfired spectacularly when he took a large contingent of his players on the tour. When a number of them failed to make the Test team, it destroyed the Wales dressing room. The ramifications, grudges and resentment of that episode still remain to this day.

Whilst Kiwi Gatland was touting for a job, Lions chief executive John Feehan told BBC Radio Wales's Scrum V that "we need someone with a sense of the tradition that goes with the Lions. We would prefer a British or Irish based person". I wonder if Warren missed that show?

Gatland would be better served by thrashing out (diplomatically) player release pledges from Wales' four regions for the 8 November 2008 Test against South Africa. Successful strategic thinking and planning in Welsh rugby requires some thought and adaptation from both parties, thoughts of Lion tours does nothing to address or enhance this.

Ironically Cardiff Blues coach Dai Young has already ruled himself out of a caretaker role of the Welsh team should Gatland abscond. He said "The Blues is my job and I certainly wouldn't risk affecting that job by being on the Wales tour, I wouldn't do anything to risk the support of the players here towards myself." My thoughts exactly.

I am not anti-Lions and understand the pride attached to it but feel that Gatland has only just started his new job with so much to do. My advice to him is to forget about moonlighting and stick to your day job; his time will come.