Warren Gatland
Wales coach Warren Gatland’s record against the Southern Hemisphere giants of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa now stands at played 27, won one and lost 26 after a 16-34 defeat at the hands of the All Blacks.
That solitary win was against the Wallabies, 21-18, back in 2008, but Gatland insisted that his team did not lack self-belief against the SANZAR nations, praising New Zealand’s kicking game in a brutally entertaining match in Cardiff.
“It’s not a matter of belief. It’s sometimes just getting across the line and doing it, and the first time you do that, it’s easier the next time,” said Gatland.
“That’s a big thing for us, we get over that line and that’s what will create that belief and that composure to finish a game off.”
Gatland, himself a Kiwi who took charge of Wales after the 2007 World Cup, added of the “nearly-men” tag.
“It’s disappointing. You’ve got to keep working hard to try to rectify that in terms of critical moments when we’ve come under a bit of pressure.
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“These are games you’re playing against the best teams in the world and we’ve grasped every opportunity to try and play New Zealand, Australia and South Africa because that’s the way we play better. Playing in that white-hot atmosphere, conditions and intensity of International rugby and it’s the way these players will continue to improve.
“Exposure to that kind of pressure against the best teams in the world, that’s all we can hopefully look to do, and learn from those experiences and learn for next time,” he added.
The New Zealand team, he said, had spent a lot of time together this season, bagging a third successive Rugby Championship and losing only once, by two points to South Africa in a ‘dead rubber’ after having already been crowned champions of that tournament, that also involves Argentina and Australia.
“We look at all the GPS numbers [measuring distance covered in games] and they’re probably used to playing at that intensity, right at the very edge,” Gatland said of the All Blacks.
“Sometimes our players are coming to us with not quite the same numbers, so we have to try to replicate that at training.
“They’ve been together for the last nine weeks, been on the road together. But I thought there were areas today when we rattled them, and they looked rattled in that last 15 minutes.
“We put them under some pressure and they came out the other end and that’s why they’re the best team in the world. We’ve got to learn from that and learn to make sure we keep smart,” he stated.
While not doubting his team’s commitment, Gatland hailed a Kiwi kicking game that saw two tries from perfectly-weighted cross-field kicks, as Rhys Webb’s sole try for the Welsh was undone by five for New Zealand.
Julian Savea, Jerome Kaino, Beauden Barrett (2) and Kieran Read all crossed the whitewash. Barrett nailing a penalty and conversion and Colin Slade two more, as the visitors piled up 24 points in the final 17 minutes against a flagging Welsh side.
“I was really proud of the performance and the effort and commitment that the guys put into the game. I thought we gave it everything,” Gatland said.
“You can’t ask any more of the players, 69 minutes on the clock and you’re winning 16-15. There were a couple of kicks with lucky bounces and a chargedown and that’s been our downfall.
“We’re really disappointed but I can’t ask the players to give any more than they did today. We were right in that game. In that last 10 minutes, they’ve got some success out of their kicking game.
“When they came under pressure they did execute their kicking strategy very well.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s match against the Springboks, Gatland said he had talked with his players as a first step to “make sure we’re capable of putting South Africa under the same sort of pressure and playing for the full 80 minutes and getting the win”.