Former Wales international and British and Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies has praised Warren Gatland's legacy, reflecting on his coaching tenure and the evolution of Welsh rugby. Speaking candidly to JeffBet  about Gatland’s influence, Davies emphasized the importance of adaptability in international coaching.

“You have to adapt and change with the times as an international coach,” Davies said. “To be a national coach for more than 10 years shows you have been able to adapt.”

Gatland’s second stint with Wales ended on a disappointing note, and Davies acknowledged the difficulty of watching his former coach struggle. “You always feel that you can squeeze that little bit more juice out of the orange. What Gats realised was that there was nothing left to give. It was hard seeing him like that. Hopefully now he can switch off and go and enjoy the summer in New Zealand.”

One of the long-standing criticisms of Gatland’s style was the so-called ‘Warren-ball’—a term often used to describe a direct, physical style of play. Davies, however, dismissed this notion, arguing that it was a mischaracterization of how Wales played under Gatland, especially after 2014.

“I bet if you asked those people about Warren-ball, they wouldn’t know how to explain it,” he said. “When he first came in, he had the pattern. It was called the pattern. And it was hard work. I reckon probably after 2013-14, that pattern had gone.”

Davies noted that despite the structured nature of Gatland’s system, it was not as one-dimensional as critics suggested. “It’s mad to think that because he made such an impact early on, people had to typecast him in that role and they didn’t understand what was going on in the camp at a training level. We didn’t play the pattern after 2014.”

“If you’re good at a skill and if you’ve got a hammer in your toolbox, you’re going to use the hammer! Warren knew what type of team he had, and we were still able to score some amazing tries.”

Davies also weighed in on recent selection decisions, particularly the omission of Gareth Anscombe from the squad.

“I would have picked Gareth Anscombe, and I probably would have picked Max Llewellyn as well. I don’t know why they didn’t pick those two,” he said. “Gareth’s experience, even if you weren’t expecting him to play, would have been invaluable for the two young fly-halves to lean on.”

He highlighted the pressures of a Test week and the value of having an experienced player to support younger teammates. “Test week is so busy, there’s so much going on. Gareth would have been good for those young boys to just take a bit of pressure off and help them with the preparation of what really matters.”

Reflecting on Gatland’s impact, Davies was unequivocal in his assessment of the coach’s legacy.

“We would be very narrow-minded and stupid as a nation if we did not respect what Warren achieved. You can’t reference what happened the second time around,” he said. “We’re currently in a run that we’ve never seen before and it’s bad. But for someone to have delivered three Grand Slams, two other Six Nations titles, two World Cup semi-finals—that is some legacy.”

Davies expressed gratitude for his time under Gatland. “For me, Warren will always be the coach that showed me the most faith in my ability and gave me the opportunities to play at the highest level. I feel very fortunate to have played under him.”

In considering Gatland’s place in Welsh rugby history, Davies placed him above other notable coaches.

“I think you look at Graham Henry and Steve Hansen and what they did with the Welsh team at the time was excellent, and they went on to do some amazing things in New Zealand,” he said. “But for Welsh rugby, Gats has to go down as the best coach in the professional era and perhaps ever. He’s definitely in that conversation.”

As Wales looks to rebuild, Davies has his own thoughts on potential coaching candidates.

“I like the idea of Simon Easterby because he played in Wales for a number of years. I played under him when he was captain. I loved playing for him. And I think with the experience he has gained with Ireland, he understands what excellence represents.”

Davies believes Easterby’s character could help restore Wales to its former glory. “Knowing his character, he will strive to bring that excellence back to our rugby. And why not get Lee Blackett back in the mix and take Wales back to rebuild Welsh rugby to the standards we expect?”

With Wales facing one of its toughest periods in recent memory, the challenge remains to recapture the success of the Gatland era. While his second stint may not have yielded the results fans hoped for, Davies insists that Gatland’s contribution to Welsh rugby should never be forgotten.