Warren Gatland will ‘let dust settle’ before deciding on his future
Warren Gatland will “let the dust settle” on Wales’s awful autumn before he considers his future as their head coach.His team suffered their 12th straight defeat, when they were beaten 45-12 by South Africa.Gatland said he wanted to talk to his family and his bosses at the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) before he makes a decision.For its part, the WRU has committed to bringing in two independent experts to help with an end‑of‑season review, which will decide whether Gatland stays in post if he doesn’t quit first.Sign up to The BreakdownThe latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewedafter newsletter promotionGatland did not deny rumours that he could move into a different role at the WRU, which would involve him stepping away from the day-to-day running of the team but give him more influence over the overall strategy for the sport in Wales.
He admitted, with a wry smile, that he had been discussing the idea with his wife on the morning of the game.“There are a number of things that need to be talked about,” he said.“About strategy and the deal with the regions.For a long time there have been issues in the game and the success we had in the past papered over those cracks.”The WRU is holding its annual general meeting this Sunday and the union is expected to provide updates on the state of a new deal with the four regional teams.
The idea is that the WRU would increase their funding, and assume their debts, in return for more control over their running.“There’s negotiations going on and they haven’t concluded yet, but some of the things the union are trying to put in place will definitely make a change,” Gatland said.“And there needs to be some change, I’ve gone into board meetings and spoken about how we need to be bold to improve the game.”Gatland is clear it is not going to be a quick fix.“It is going to take time.
But I came away from today thinking that this group of players, if they can replicate that effort and learn from their mistakes, we have some hope moving forward.The question is whether people have the patience to give you the time.”His family are among the people who are being tested by it all.He admitted that the last couple of weeks had taken a toll on them.“It’s challenging in terms of the negativity,” Gatland said.
“But I’m motivated to want to be here, we’ve a good group of men who are only going to get better over the next couple of months building towards the Six Nations,”
Jaguar boss defends new ad and rebrand amid ‘vile hatred’ online
The boss of Jaguar has defended the company’s move away from “traditional automotive stereotypes” after a clip of its new advert was met with a barrage of “vile hatred and intolerance” online.This week, Jaguar Land Rover, the luxury UK carmaker owned by India’s Tata Motors, posted a 30-second clip on X featuring models in brightly coloured clothing set against equally vibrant backdrops, without a car or the company’s traditional cat logo.“If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we’ll just get drowned out. So we shouldn’t turn up like an auto brand,” Jaguar’s managing director, Rawdon Glover told the Financial Times of the company’s “copy nothing” campaign.The new ad and rebrand prompted a backlash online, including on X where the platform’s chief executive, Elon Musk, posted: “Do you sell cars?”In response, Glover said, “Yes
Energy bills, mortgages, food: will cost of living surge again under Labour?
Labour swept to power in the wake of a cost of living crisis that hit households hard, with the price of food and energy rocketing alongside the impact of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget on mortgage rates.At 2.3%, inflation is nowhere the 10% peak after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it is creeping up, and could hit 3% in 2025, say forecasters.Here are some of the pressures households are likely to face in the coming months at a time when the government claims to be “fixing the foundations” of the economy.Ofgem announced its latest price cap on Friday morning, with average energy bills to increase by 1
I’ve joined Bluesky and it feels like a breath of fresh air – in some ways… | John Naughton
As I write, there’s a window on my laptop screen that is providing a live view of a stampede. It’s logging the numbers of people joining the social network Bluesky. At the moment, the number of registered users is 20.5 million. By the time you read this there will be more than 30 million of them, judging by the rate that people are currently joining
‘We live in a climate of fear’: graphic novelist’s Elon Musk book can’t find UK or US publisher
A biography by a British graphic novelist of Elon Musk is struggling to find an English-language publisher due to feared “legal consequences”.Elon Musk: Investigation into a New Master of the World is the latest graphic novel by Darryl Cunningham, from West Yorkshire. Cunningham, 64, has written and illustrated seven nonfiction books on topics ranging from the 2008 global economic meltdown (Supercrash), to Russian leader Vladimir Putin (subtitled The Rise of a Dictator).His first book, Psychiatric Tales, which drew on his time working on an acute psychiatric ward, was called an “unsettling but rewarding experience” in an Observer review in 2010.Although his previous books have all found publishers in the UK and America, there has been silence on the Elon Musk project, despite the fact that it has already been translated into French and published in France to positive reviews
Australia v India: first men’s Test, day three – live
79th over: India 247-1 (Jaiswal 133, Padikkal 13) Lyon resumes and Padikkal rolls the wrists nicely to find two more. That’s it for now though.78th over: India 247-1 (Jaiswal 133, Padikkal 13) Marnus madness is over for now and Travis Head has been given a bowl. This got one yesterday and it cost eight runs but he’s the fastest route to the new ball right now so what the hell. And Jaiswal says the same, slapping two from last after five dots
England’s Jordan Cox an injury doubt for first Test in New Zealand
England were sweating on the fitness of Jordan Cox for Thursday’s first Test against New Zealand after the wicketkeeper suffered a blow to his hand before the final day of their solitary warm-up match in Queenstown.Cox, 24, had been due to make his Test debut behind the stumps at Hagley Oval in Christchurch with Jamie Smith, the regular gloveman, missing the tour for paternity leave. But the prospect of his first Test cap will now hinge on the severity of an injury to his right hand that was sustained while batting in the nets on Sunday.As Cox went off to a local hospital in Queenstown for a scan, the knock-on effect in the short term was the sight of Ollie Pope taking the gloves on day two of England’s practice match against the New Zealand Prime Minister’s XI. Ben Stokes, who is fully fit but opted to sit out the first day, took the field to captain the side
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