Wales braced for big battle

Cardiff – Wales coach Warren Gatland (above) is expecting a huge physical challenge from Australia today as his team bid to halt a run of 12 successive defeats against the Wallabies.

The last Welsh victory over the Australians was in 2008 and the touring side have named the imposing Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani in a powerful centre combination.

“Looking at the Australian team, I don’t think they’re going to be too worried about throwing the ball around,” Gatland told reporters this week.

“I think they are going to be pretty direct. The game is about subtleties and you have to get across the gain-line first. We’ve done that in the past and played some great rugby. But what is going to win this game is the defence. If we don’t tackle, it doesn’t matter how many times we attack.”

The last time Wales won their opening match of the autumn series was against Romania in 2002.

“No we haven’t begun these series that well in the past,” Gatland said. “And we are playing a team that has had eight games together in the last couple of months and beat the All Blacks three weeks ago. We are going in cold.”

Gatland is confident Wales can challenge strongly to win the 2019 World Cup.

“It’s a process over the next two years. We should have made the final of World Cup in 2011 and we were five minutes from the semifinals in 2015,” he said.

“I believe this team is capable of winning the World Cup.”

Gatland, back in charge after a year out to lead the British and Irish Lions, is celebrating 10 years in the job. –