THE BAD

Gat blasts ‘terrible’ TMO try call but insists Wales can still win title

WARREN GATLAND refused to give up on Six Nations glory despite blasting the “terrible” decision which cost Wales their victory chance.

Gatland was proud of how his makeshift team came within one score of handing England their first championship loss at Twickenham for six years.

Yet he headed home raging at the call, made by fellow New Zealander Glenn Newman, which enabled England to escape to victory. TV match official Newman ruled Anthony Watson had beaten Gareth Anscombe to the touch, so denying Wales a try.

Gatland (right) fumed: ”They fly a guy over from New Zealand to be TMO and he has one big call to make and unfortunately he’s made a terrible mistake and at this level I think that’s pretty disappointing.

“It will be interesting to chat to him to see what his explanation is of it because I don’t know anyone who has said they agree with the decision.” Despite that setback Wales, who lost Leigh Halfpenny to injury on the morning of the game, kept England scoreless for the last hour. And Gatland insisted: “The changing room is not down at all. “We were pleased with how strong we finished the game and, considering we still think we are 20-25 per cent off being as fit and as sharp as we will

be by the time the World Cup comes round, we are in a pretty good place.

“Those players will get better and when we get some of that experience back into the team it will make us stronger still.”

Wales go to Ireland next and, with home games against Italy and France to finish with, Gatland insists they remain in the title chase.

“England have won their first two games, so they are in a good position to potentially go and win the Grand Slam,” he said. “We are out of that at the moment, which is disappointing, so you are relying on someone else to slip up.

“But it could come down to points difference so we’ve got to make sure we are in it come that last weekend.”

England boss Eddie Jones admits Wales gave his side a hell of a run for their money.

“They are a tough side; a wellcoached team and they gave it everything,” he said.

“It was an arm-wrestle that we managed to win but we had to battle to beat them.”