Current Wales boss Gatland will leave his role after 12 incredibly successful years at the end of Friday night’s World Cup bronze medal match with New Zealand.
Hansen, who has been a coach with the All Blacks since 2004 during a similarly remarkable spell and won two World Cups in that time, will also depart the international scene come the full-time whistle.
It means the Tokyo Stadium clash is an end-of-an-era clash for both coaches.
“Warren has done a great job. Wales had had adversity, but he came in and has moulded them,” said Hansen, who coached Wales between 2002 and 2004 and was an All Blacks assistant between 2004 and 2011 before stepping up to the top job.
“He brought good staff with him and built a team that’s become very, very competitive. They were No 1 before the World Cup which speaks for itself.”
Asked to describe Gatland in three words, Hansen said: “Competitive. Wales. Lions.”
The 60-year-old continued: “Wales like to play an arm wrestle. They like to kick the ball, put you under pressure, and they love the ball to stay in play because they think they’re the fittest side in the world at that arm wrestle and physical game. That’s been Warren’s style for a long, long time.
“They like a scrap and they’ve been very successful doing that. The South Africa game would probably be the first time they haven’t come out on top.”
Hansen has made seven changes to the team that lost to England in the last four in what will be Read and his last international match. Scott Barrett moves from flanker to lock with Shannon Frizzell and Sam Cane returning in the back-row. Dane Coles gets the start at hooker. Rieko Ioane and Ben Smith are on the wings, with Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty coming in at centre.
The game will be Smith’s last too as he will move to France at the end of the tournament. Midfield juggernaut Williams is also expected to seek out pastures new.
“Some people externally may be saying there’s nothing on the match. There is no pressure so, therefore, Wales will throw the ball around,” said Hansen. “We’ve got to expect both avenues of attack. However, there is a lot on the match. I haven’t even thought about it being my last game. I don’t want to sound grumpy, but if we start talking about me, it becomes about me and I don’t want it to be. The team’s more important.
“It’s an important match for a number of reasons. One, we’ve just come off a loss. Two, it’s Wales and we’ve got a history with them that we need to keep feeding. We’ve got a legacy and a responsibility to that legacy.”
Both Hansen and Read will return to Japan after this World Cup to join the country’s Toyota Verblitz side – whose training base Wales used in preparation for their victory against Australia in the industrial city. The duo want to end on a high. “Wales are a team that will relish playing against the All Blacks, I’m sure. It’s a great opportunity for them. They’re a side that is very fit, physical, they’ll keep the ball in play,” said No 8 ace Read.
“We’ve just got to expect a pretty tough battle. It’s always been the case when we’ve played Wales over the years.”
On the career of Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, Read added: “He’s been a colossus for Wales. He just turns up and works bloody hard and puts it on the field every game he plays. You have to do that if you want to play over a hundred games. It’s massive to get to that point.”
New Zealand team to face Wales: Beauden Barrett; Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane; Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Dane Coles, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane, Kieran Read (capt)
Replacements: Liam Coltman, Atu Moli, Angus Ta’avao, Patrick Tuipulotu, Matt Todd, Brad Weber, Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett
New Zealand big match facts:
The All Blacks and Wales have played each other 34 times, with 31 wins to the All Blacks and three to Wales. Friday’s Bronze Final will be the fourth time the two teams have meet at the Rugby World Cup. They played in the Semi-Final of the 1987 RWC and in Pool Play in 1995 and 2003.
All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen was the Wales coach at the 2003 Tournament and is in the unique position of having coached both the All Blacks and Wales against each other at a Rugby World Cup.
Captain Kieran Read will become the second most capped All Blacks Captain on Friday when he leads the side for the 52nd time. He is behind Richie McCaw, who captained the All Blacks 110 times.
Prop Angus Ta’avao will have played every Test this year for the All Blacks – 11 in total.
Beauden Barrett has scored 644 points in Tests for the All Blacks and is fourth on the all-time scoring list, just one point behind Grant Fox who is on third place on 645. Andrew Mehrtens is second on 967 points and Dan Carter leads the list on 1,598 points.
