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'We can bring home the World Cup' Gatland eyes ultimate prize
The confidence exuding from the Wales camp is sky-high after completing their Grand Slam in Cardiff, and now head coach Warren Gatland has his eye toward the crown jewel.
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“If we play as well as we have for the last year, then we can bring home the World Cup,” he told BBC Sport.
“I know that these guys won’t go down in any match without a fight.”
Gatland’s confidence is not without conviction – Wales are in the midst of their best ever winning streak, with the 25-7 win over Ireland their 14th-straight victory.
“We’ve got a very special group of players at the moment.
“We enjoy each other’s company, we challenge each other on a lot of things, but once we make a decision we back each other 100%.
“I promise you that these guys will give 100% in every game at the World Cup.”
Gatland signed off his final Six Nations game as coach with his third Grand Slam, the most of any coach, a significant achievement to go alongside his 2-1 series win as the British & Irish Lions coach over Australia in 2013 and a drawn series against the All Blacks in 2017.
The only thing missing is the William Webb Ellis trophy, which the number-two ranked side in the world will have a chance to win later this year.
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“You need a little bit of luck and hopefully we don’t pick up too many injuries,” added Gatland, who coached Wales to the semi-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
“We’ll have a few months of preparation and as we have in the last few World Cups, we’ll be one of the fittest teams, if not the fittest team there.
“There’s some real depth, some real competition in this squad and that makes it tough on us as coaches.
“There are some real quality players that will miss out on the 31-man squad and that will be incredibly tough.
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“I assure you that we’ll go there with some confidence and belief that we can have a great World Cup.”
Wales will face Australia, Georgia, Fiji and Uruguay in a favourable pool, setting up a quarterfinal showdown with either England, France or Argentina out of the ‘Pool of Death’.
Joe Schmidt expects Ireland to bounce back for Rugby World Cup:
