Shane Williams: Get off Howley’s back, he’s proved a winner at top level

The worst kept secret in rugby is out. Warren Gatland‘s selection of Rob Howley, Steve Borthwick and Andy Farrell as his assistant coaches for the British and Irish Lions came as no surprise but it’s the right way to go in my view.
Some supporters seem to be up in arms in the belief Gatland has been too loyal to Rob in particular.
But look at the facts and you can see why Warren has stayed with what he knows in terms of his coaching staff. Rob and Andy provide continuity from the successful 2013 tour of Australia and I’ve been hugely impressed with the work Steve Borthwick has done with England.
I can’t understand, though, why so much flak has headed Howley’s way. If you take a quick look at his record you can see just what a top coach he is.
The treatment of him in Wales has been harsh. He’s a man who coached Wales to victory over South Africa in his last game in charge and has won a Six Nations Championship when head coach of his country in 2013. Then there’s been the Six Nations Grand Slams in which he has played a crucial role.
Opposition teams are more wary of Wales than they have ever been in terms of attack and let’s not forget the success the likes of Jamie Roberts, George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, Rhys Webb and others have had in a red shirt.
Rob has played a massive part in that. Nobody knows these players better and that’s just with Wales. With the Lions, his record is outstanding too. I worked under him on both the 2009 tour to South Africa and the successful 2013 trip to Australia and his role was crucial in both those teams.
I may have been a late call-up on the last tour but I got to see at close quarters how Warren, Rob and the others worked. They’re absolutely brilliant at what they do.
Just look at that Test series decider with Australia in Sydney. That was the biggest game in years for most of the players and coaches involved and what happened?
The Lions ran riot, claiming the series with a display which saw them put more than 40 points on the Wallabies. Let’s not forget, the 41-16 victory was the most points the Lions have ever scored in a Test match.
When it mattered most, a back line coached by Rob delivered on the biggest of stages.
Of course the omission of Brian O’Driscoll was a big call at the time and the selection of nine Welshman was too much for some. But it proved to be the correct decision.
How can you argue otherwise? Jonathan Davies was supreme at outside centre and the result spoke volumes for everyone involved.
Rob, alongside Warren, showed that week he’s not afraid to make the big calls and in the end they were both justified by the outcome.
Now it’s time for all rugby fans in the Northern Hemisphere to get behind the coaching team.
The All Blacks, as everyone knows, are the world’s best side, but the Lions can beat them.
It will be a long and tough tour but the last year has shown Northern Hemisphere rugby is on the rise.
The performances of England and Ireland have provided real impetus going into 2017 and it’s an exciting time to be a rugby supporter in this part of the world.