“You cannot deny what Ireland have achieved as a nation over the last few years and you are starting to see the fruition of the alignment between the Irish provinces and the union. There is no doubt that Andy has done a fantastic job,” Gatland wrote.
“Even though Ireland lost their quarter-final to New Zealand, it was an epic match and it could have gone either way. And that is sport. Everyone always just looks at results rather than what teams have achieved and the progress they have made. Andy has got really good man-management skills, has huge experience in the game as a professional from a young age in rugby league and I have a huge amount of respect for him as a person and as a coach.”
The Wallabies will also have a new coach with Eddie Jones announcing yesterday that he is standing down from the job.
In December last year, Gatland replaced Wayne Pivac as coach of Wales for a second stint in the role. The side topped their group at the World Cup before losing to Argentina in the quarter-finals.
The Lions will play three tests as part of a 10-match tour starting in June 2025, including a game against an Invitational Australia & New Zealand side.
