I wouldn’t change the last five weeks – I’ve loved every minute of autumn
AFTER watching his team beat South Africa 27-13, Wales coach Rob Howley met the press to talk about the Principality Stadium clash and reflect on the autumn series as a whole. Q: WHAT’S YOUR OVERRIDING EMOTION AFTER THAT VICTORY? A: I’m delighted for the players. We said back at the hotel, if everyone could see all the hard work and the endeavour and the attitude the players have given the national jersey in terms of training over the last five weeks, we would win every game. But the transfer from training, for whatever reason, hasn’t been to the standard that we all expected. That was the challenge today. I thought we were comfortable. We were able to stress South Africa more times than they were able to stress us.
But there is another level in us. We beat South Africa quite comfortably. At 20-6, we don’t make it easy for ourselves. We never have and we never will. That’s the challenge. We were probably two tries short out there.
But the players deserve that win. It was in a manner which was comfortable and we were clinical, particularly at yellow card time. We gave couple of penalties away which put us on the back foot, but my over-riding emotion is I’m really pleased for the players. Q: HAS SOME OF THE CRITICISM IN RECENT WEEKS BROUGHT THE TEAM CLOSER TOGETHER AND MADE THEM MORE RESILIENT? A: I don’t tend to read or listen to anything like that. It’s that internal and external perception we all talk about. The internal perception is that we are a very good team. I think we showed that today.
All the white noise and all that, we just concentrate on performing and trying to be the best that we can as coaches and players on a Saturday. I thought we achieved that today. Q: HOW DO YOU RATE THAT SOUTH AFRICAN SIDE? A: I thought they were a good team. The one thing you are going to get against them, they are going to run hard. With their ability to keep hold of the ball, it’s very difficult to get pressure in the contact area, so they kept on having quick ball.
But I thought we showed a lot of patience and composure in our defensive alignment. Through good discipline and decisionmaking we were able to keep them out. I thought the key time was probably the yellow card period when we have scored a try and gone 20-6. We were comfortable at the time. It was disappointing to concede a try, but I was even more delighted with Justin Tipuric’s try. It was a great offload by Taulupe and great footwork by a world-class No 7. Q: DO YOU THINK THAT COULD BE A LANDMARK GAME IN JUSTIN’S INTERNATIONAL CAREER? A: Look, I watch Tips every week when he plays for the Ospreys. He continually performs at that highest level, he’s got great footwork, he’s got a rugby brain and can read the game. I think you saw that on many occasions today. Q: WHAT’S THE LATEST ON DAN LYDIATE AFTER HE WAS STRETCHERED OFF? A: He has got a knee injury. We will wait and see what the medics say, but it doesn’t look too good at this moment in time. Q: THAT’S THREE WINS OUT OF FOUR THIS AUTUMN. HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE SERIES AS A WHOLE? A: I’m delighted. We set a goal of bettering our 70 per cent home record. Three wins out of four is 75 per cent if my maths is right, so we bettered it. We have beaten South Africa for only the third time, by a record margin. We will take it. But we play England and Ireland at home in the Six Nations and that’s where we need to go to the next level. That’s
what we spoke about in the changing room afterwards. We will enjoy this, it’s important you celebrate success and the players deserve that. Then it’s back to their day jobs in preparation for next week and their clubs. Q: IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW WAY OF PLAYING, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PROGRESSING? A: We were much more consistent in our shape out there and players were making better decisions as a result. When we get a consistent shape, we get a rhythm to our play, which we struggled with in the first couple of games. Through putting pressure through shape, there were some good pictures out there and some good decision making, particularly from the forwards. It was a real watershed on the New Zealand tour and we fed that back regionally and nationally. You saw the benefit of the players working on skill. Q: DO YOU THINK THE BALANCE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH HAS SWUNG AT ALL THIS MONTH? A: The games are won on small margins. Ireland have beaten Australia today, England have been playing particularly well and it’s good for us that we have got a big scalp in South Africa, having already beaten Argentina this autumn. I deem that a success. Q: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ENGLAND AND IRELAND WHO HAVE MADE QUITE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND WILL BE THE TWO SIDES COMING HERE IN THE SIX NATIONS? A: That’s what I said to the players in the changing room afterwards. There’s another level in us and we will have to go to another level if we are going to get near to the likes of England and Ireland. It’s a challenge to look forward to. The players can enjoy Christmas now. Q: GIVEN THE NATURE OF YOUR JOB AND THE FOCUS ON YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY THE LAST FIVE WEEKS? A: I have loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t change the last five weeks for the world. I just love working with the players, love working with the coaches. It’s not a stressful job, it’s an enjoyable job, it’s part of being a coach. My Welshness does come through quite often on occasions. Q: WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO ON THE LIONS TOUR AND DO YOU THINK THIS WILL WIN HAVE IMPROVED YOUR CHANCES? A: Look, the Lions tour is the Lions tour. There are many fantastic coaches out there who would want to go on the Lions. All of us want to be part of that. The main thing today is a Welsh victory and the way we played. I’m delighted for the players..