Wales have Gat what it takes to be top of pile once again
NEIL SQUIRES
WARREN GATLAND is banking on Wales’s work ethic putting them back on top of the Six Nations pile as he returns to the hotseat after three years away.
Gatland (above), who led Wales to three Grand Slams in his previous 12-year spell as head coach, has retaken the reins from the axed Wayne Pivac with the side in the doldrums after home defeats to Italy and Georgia in 2022.
With fears over a player exodus from Wales, the experienced Kiwi takes over at a difficult time.
But Gatland believes the appetite for hard graft he found in the
Wales squad will serve them well.
“I think that one of the things we’ve done in the past is work incredibly hard as a group and we’ll continue to do that,” he said.
“There have been games in the past we’ve been able to hang in due to our fitness and we were able to grind out wins.
“I know this group will work hard. The thing about these Welsh boys is they never question you in terms of how hard they work.
“If you ask them to run through a brick wall, the answer they’ll give you is: ‘What do you want us to do when we get to the other side?’ That’s definitely in the past made my job easier.”
Gatland has chosen Ken Owens as his skipper.
But Gatland will be thrown straight back in the deep end with the world’s No.1 ranked side Ireland Wales’ first opponents in the championship. He is bullish, however. “There’s probably no better time to get Ireland in the Six Nations,” he said.
“They are going to be a little bit underdone like us and we’re playing at home. The key to that is just to keep things really simple.
“My message to all the other coaches is that we don’t try to give the players too much information in a short period.
“We need to all be singing off the same page to give us the best possible chance.” While the immediate focus will be on the Six Nations, Gatland admitted yesterday part of the lure for a second stint with Wales is the World Cup later this year.
As things stand there is a danger Wales could be without key players for the tournament should more follow the lead of second row Will Rowlands who has signed for Racing 92 next season and made himself ineligible. Gatland wants the WRU to scrap the regulation which rules anyone with under 60 caps unavailable for the Test side if they play outside Wales.
“It would be disappointing if some players miss out on the World Cup. Why shoot ourselves in the foot if we don’t need to?” he said.
“I can’t blame players for exploring the options because there is a level of uncertainty in Welsh rugby at the moment, particularly for those out of contract.
“They need to think about their own personal situation and that’s understandable.”