Gatland holds off on Australia tour decision

WARREN Gatland’s wife says a decision on whether the Wales coach will lead his side on their summer tour of Australia will be made “closer to the time”.

Gatland is set for surgery in New Zealand next week to reconstruct his right heel after he fell three metres on to concrete while cleaning windows of the family holiday home at Wahi Beach in New Zealand.

He suffered multiple fractures to his right heel and a single fracture of the left heel, and now faces several weeks recuperating in Hamilton after the operation.

Wales play the Barbarians in Cardiff on June 2, before heading Down Under for three Tests against Australia.

“The coaches are just going to step up and do the job of getting the boys prepared for Australia, and then Warren will see closer to the time whether he can get to Australia or not,” Trudy Gatland told the Waikato Times.

Recalling the accident on Easter Monday, she added: “Luckily he landed on his feet, because he could have landed on his head.”