Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Warren Gatland on what would make 'huge difference' to Wales' fortunes

By PA
Warren Gatland - PA

Warren Gatland faces the biggest challenge of his coaching career after Wales’ alarming demise was confirmed by a first Six Nations wooden spoon for 21 years.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wales finished seven points adrift of fifth-placed Italy following the Azzurri’s 24-21 victory in Cardiff, which was their 14th defeat in the last 16 Six Nations games.

They have lost seven successive matches in the tournament at home, and Gatland has a miserable 10 per cent Six Nations win-ratio since he returned for a second stint as head coach.

Video Spacer

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Hacjivah Dayimani’s exclusion from the first alignment camp

Video Spacer

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Hacjivah Dayimani’s exclusion from the first alignment camp

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus explains why Stormers star Hacjivah Dayimani was not included in the recent alignment camp in Cape Town.

During his trophy-laden first spell in the job between 2008 and 2019, Wales won Six Nations titles, Grand Slams, reached two World Cup semi-finals and were briefly the world’s number one-ranked team.

There are significant mitigating factors behind Wales’ slump, including Dan Biggar, Leigh Halfpenny and now George North retiring from Test rugby, Jac Morgan, Taulupe Faletau and Dewi Lake all recovering from long-term injuries, Louis Rees-Zammit quitting rugby union to pursue a possible American football career and Liam Williams playing club rugby in Japan.

But much of their performance against Italy was scarred by schoolboy errors and a chronic lack of composure. In truth, Italy were at least 20 points better.

Wales’ post-World Cup rebuild has witnessed some green shoots, notably the arrival of newcomers like full-back Cameron Winnett and flanker Alex Mann, while they threatened an unlikely comeback win against Scotland, ran England close and were competitive for an hour before subsiding to France.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Italy performance, though, illustrated how big Gatland’s task is. Wales’ next game is against world champions South Africa in June, followed by a two-Test tour of Australia.

Asked if he was confident of turning things around, Gatland said: “Absolutely. I’ve never shied away from that.

Related

“We have had glimpses where we have been really good in this tournament. We need to do that for longer periods.

“We need to start better in games and make sure we are more accurate.

“Probably the amount of turnovers in those games have allowed opposition teams some easy outs where they haven’t had to play too much rugby and have waited and relied on us shooting ourselves in the foot with some mistakes.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We just need to win, don’t we. We need to get some confidence and self-belief, whether that is first of all at the national level, but also at regional level.

“When you start winning and get confidence, it makes a huge amount of difference.

“I know that the regions and (Welsh Rugby) Union are talking collectively and trying to put strategies in place for the future. That will make a huge difference to everyone.”

Related

Gatland said he had offered his resignation – which was rejected – to WRU chief executive Abi Tierney immediately after the Italy game.

The painful Six Nations review process will now take centre-stage, in addition to starting preparations for some demanding assignments against heavyweight southern hemisphere opposition.

Gatland added: “There is planning to be done over the next few weeks, in terms of the summer tour and making sure as a coaching group we are visible in the regions as well.

“I can promise you we will go away and review this really carefully. We have already done some review stuff, and we will work on areas that need to improve.

“I think collectively we have all got a lot of work to do to make sure we can continue to improve the state of Welsh rugby.”

Related

ADVERTISEMENT

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
J
JJGhost 394 days ago

“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

G
Gary Mazzone 3 hours ago
Vern Cotter reflects on his side's recent turnaround in form

Recovering stolen Bitcoin can feel like an insurmountable challenge, especially after falling victim to scams that promise high returns with little investment. My journey began with excitement when I first learned about Bitcoin mining pools. The idea of earning substantial profits from a modest investment was enticing. I was encouraged to invest $5,200, and soon found myself caught in a web of endless demands for more money to access my funds. As time went on, I paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars, believing that each payment would finally unlock my investments. However, the requests never ceased, and I soon realized I was trapped in a scam. The weight of losing $826,000 worth of Bitcoin was unbearable, and I felt utterly helpless. I reached out to authorities, but their responses were disheartening, leaving me feeling even more isolated in my struggle. In my desperation, I even went to pray, seeking guidance and hope in what felt like a hopeless situation. I poured my heart out, asking for a sign or a way to recover my lost funds. It was during this time of reflection that I began searching for solutions online, hoping to find a way to recover my investments. That’s when I stumbled upon FUNDS RETRIEVER ENGINEER . At first, I was cynical after all, I had already been deceived so many times. However, I decided to reach out and share my story. The team at FUNDS RETRIEVER ENGINEER was understanding and compassionate, assuring me they had the expertise to help me recover my stolen Bitcoin. Within hours of providing them with the necessary information, I began to see progress. They guided me through the recovery process, keeping me informed every step of the way. It was surreal to watch as they worked diligently to trace my funds and navigate the complexities of the blockchain. To my astonishment, I received confirmation that my Bitcoin had been successfully recovered. The relief and joy I felt were indescribable. I had almost given up hope, but FUNDS RETRIEVER ENGINEER proved to be the lifeline I desperately needed. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I urge you to seek help from Reputable team at FUNDS RETRIEVER ENGINEER

For help

W H A T S A P P: +1 8 0 2 9 5 2 3 4 7 0

E m a I L F U N D S R E T R I E V E R [@] E N G I N E E R. C O M

4 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'Not real Lions': How the 1989 British and Irish tourists put Australia on the map 'Not real Lions': How the 1989 British and Irish tourists put Australia on the map
Search