Gatland banking on Lions knowledge
Wales pick four of squad who beat the All Blacks Captain Read ruled out for world champions
The fear factor has diminished for Wales as they prepare to take on New Zealand at the Principality Stadium; the friction factor, too, to judge by the fact that the coaches supposedly at loggerheads, Warren Gatland and Steve Hansen, broke bread at a testimonial dinner held in the changing rooms at the stadium last night for Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones.
Wales’ prospects have also been boosted with the news that New Zealand’s captain, No 8 Kieran Read, has been ruled out with a back problem, the latest in a long line of injury problems for the All Blacks, who will be without seven first-choice players for this final fixture of a challenging year.
The advances may be minimal but they could yet prove significant as Wales look to breach one of the most miserably extended losing runs in world rugby, with a 64-year gap since their last win over the All Blacks, a sequence of 29 Tests, 15 of them played in Cardiff.
That is a hefty load of psychological baggage to unburden. Yet four of the Wales starting XV to face the world champions tomorrow were in the squad who savoured victory over New Zealand for the Lions in the second Test in Wellington in July. That first-hand experience has stiffened sinews and banished those demons.
“The All Blacks have consistently been the best team in the world and there is a kind of factor about playing them,” said Gatland. “The fact that some of our players have now played them on a regular basis, there is not that sort of trepidation, I suppose, in terms of familiarity. Having played against a number of those New Zealand players on a regular basis, you just feel a bit more comfortable.
“The players seem calm and not so nervous and uptight as they may have been in the past. That’s the experience that players like Alun Wyn or Ken Owens or Taulupe Faletau have had of playing against the All Blacks.”
The breathless manner of Scotland’s close-run (22-17) performance against the All Blacks last weekend dovetails with the approach Wales have adopted this season, with twin playmakers, flyhalf Dan Biggar and inside centre Owen Williams, once again paired together in a bid to play a more fluid style of rugby.
Scott Williams comes in for his 50th cap at outside centre in the absence of Jonathan Davies, with wings Steff Evans and Hallam Amos on the flanks. The pack remains the same one who took on the Wallabies on the opening weekend. Wales, even though they once again lost to Australia, 29-21, played the sort of invigorating rugby that took Scotland so close.
“Scotland continued to play and put them under pressure,” said Gatland. “They were bold and seemed to play with a free spirit which was really encouraging. We encourage our players to be confident in moving the ball.”
Gatland acknowledges that New Zealand remain “the best in the world”, and that for all their ailments and near-failures, they remain unbeaten on this tour, and are “never vulnerable”. The Wales coach is all too aware that his side, also depleted through injury, will have to be at maximum output if they are to register a historic victory. In particular, their newly formed midfield trio will have to get on each other’s radar in doublequick time if they are to stem the threat posed by the likes of Beauden Barrett and Sonny Bill Williams.
“We have spoken about trying to limit his threat,” said Gatland. “There is no doubt a player of [Wiliams’s] ability can expose you and get the ball away – we have just got to be able to react to that.”
There are three changes in the New Zealand side, with Luke Whitelock and Liam Squire coming in to the back row and Patrick Tuipulutou stepping in at lock for Luke Romano. His second-row partner, Sam Whitelock, will captain the side, even though Beauden Barrett led the team in the opening game against the Barbarians.
“We didn’t want to overload Beaudie as he is a big driver of our team,” said Hansen, who was delighted that wing Rieko Ioane had recovered. “The doc has managed to fix him. The shoulder was scanned but there’s no damage.
“We’re excited about Saturday. We always put everything into our preparation. And if we’re good enough, we will get our reward.”