'Laughing all the way to the bank' - Mike Phillips blasts Warren Gatland following recent results

Former Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips has hit out at current head coach Warren Gatland following a series of poor results from the national side.

Phillips, who used to play under Gatland in the national side, clearly has his own hang-ups with the old boss, letting his feelings well and truly known on X.

“Loads of positives yeah, you’re on 600k a year and don’t even have to win! How the WRU bring this guy back is just nuts! Laughing all the way to the bank.

Loads of positives yeah, you’re on 600k a year and don’t even have to win! 👏👏 How the WRU bring this guy back is just nuts! Laughing all the way to the bank 👏👍 https://t.co/MsjIcVN3rd

— Mike Phillips (@mikephillips009) November 11, 2024

Phillips, who spent seven years in Welsh camps under Gatland’s tutelage in addition to two British and Irish Lions tours in 2009 and 2013, clearly feels no affinity to his former coach.

“When I see this guy talking about family makes me cringe. Did he speak to me at the end of my career, did he f! I won for this guy. This bloke is only out for himself, and it kills me to see all this bullshit praise he’s getting. He deserves to be kicked out, like he did to so many quality Welsh players.”

When I see this guy talking about family makes me cringe. Did he speak to me at the end of my career, did he f! I won for this guy.
This bloke is only out for himself, and it kills me to see all this bullshit praise he’s getting. He deserves to be kicked out, like he did to so…

— Mike Phillips (@mikephillips009) November 11, 2024

Phillips’s tweets came in the wake os Wales’ 24-19 loss to Fiji—marking their 10th straight defeat. Despite the loss Gatland expressed optimism, telling TNT Sports that the game had “a lot of positives.”

This incident is the latest in a line of shots from the former scrumhalf who appeared last year on RugbyPass’ Offload podcast, where he questioned Gatland’s motivation, saying, “Why has he taken this [Wales] role? He had the perfect story as Welsh coach… it just seems… what’s his ‘Why?’ to come back and coach? Is it purely for money, or what’s the reason?”

Phillips then speculated that Gatland’s lack of success in New Zealand may have influenced his decision to return to a role where he had previously enjoyed unprecedented success.

In another shot across the bow of his former coach, Phillips conducted a Q&A with French media outlet Midi Olympique Rugbyrama, where he expanded on his doubts, suggesting that the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) should have opted for fresh leadership. “No one is forever… you should have moved on,” he stated, acknowledging Gatland’s accomplishments but questioning the WRU’s strategic foresight. Phillips argued that the choice of Gatland, while nostalgic, overlooks the deeper issues plaguing Welsh rugby: “The federation could have taken the best coach in the world, but I don’t think the team would have won more.”

Phillips, who was pivotal to Wales’ Grand Slam victories in 2008 and 2012 and the dominant 2013 Championship, believes Gatland’s era ended perfectly. This scepticism toward Gatland’s return underscores his concern that, in a results-driven sport, Welsh rugby’s struggles run deeper than the head coach alone but that he is certainly part of the problem.