PREVIEW…
Today. Kick-off 4.10pm, Principality Stadium
ONE of the more revealing comments from Warren Gatland this week came when he was asked how tough it is to keep players believing when you are on an extended losing streak.
“I haven’t really been in this situation too much before in terms of doing that,” he replied.
Gatland is certainly in uncharted international waters personally and will be cast adrift as the Wales coach with the worst ever run if Australia consign him to an 11th straight Test defeat at the Principality Stadium today.
The latest loss – at home to Fiji last weekend – saw the heat turned up still further on the New Zealander amid widespread criticism, including strong comments from his former players Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts.
Gatland said: “I’ve never been critical of anyone having an opinion. I encourage people to have an opinion. That’s always
healthy for the sport. Criticism is part of the job and the role. Just keep writing about me and leave the players alone.”
He added: “Am I happy with where we are at the moment? No. Is there pressure? Yeah. But do I believe in what we are doing? 100 per cent.
“The conviction is there and that probably takes away some of the noise that is coming towards us.
“We are not throwing in the towel in any way. We will keep working hard as players and coaches and hopefully the tide turns pretty soon.”
As for his job security, he said: “I’m probably not the person to ask in terms of those questions.
“We’ve tried to point out from the outset that we need to go through ing order. There are also two fresh flankers, with Jac Morgan and James Botham taking over from Tommy Reffell and Taine Plumtree.
Morgan demonstrated his invaluable ball-carrying in the build up to Wales’ final try against Fiji and will have benefited from his run-out as a sub after reduced training time following a side strain, while Botham brings physicality and the engine of a man dubbed some pain. I didn’t think there would be this much pain.”
He said if the WRU did decide to make a change, he would be “more than comfortable with that”.
“I’d probably go to the beach, have a glass of wine and enjoy myself away from some of the pressure!”
He added: “It’s definitely been a challenging 12 months. I’ve been very clear that I’m really comfortable with the decisions we’ve made in terms of developing this group of youngsters.
“It takes a bit of time. I’m well aware that you are not always given time. It’s about results. I understand that. I’ve been around the game for long enough.”
Gatland has made four changes from the 24-19 defeat to Fiji in search of that elusive winning formula. Two of those have been enforced, with Tom Rogers and Ellis Bevan replacing the injured Mason Grady and Tomos Williams at wing and scrum-half respectively, as the in-form Rogers leaps ahead of recent regular Rio Dyer in the wing peck-the fittest player in the squad by Gatland.
As for the bench, the 6-2 split has been ditched after the calamitous events of last Sunday, with young Scarlets centre Eddie James now added, while scrum-half Rhodri Williams will set a new Wales record for the longest gap between caps if he comes on – some 10 years and eight months.
Wales will want to recapture the cutting edge they showed in the first
20 minutes versus the Fijians and replicate their sustained efficiency at the lineout, where they were 18 out of 18, with that department providing the platform for all three tries, plus the one that was disallowed.
As for areas requiring improvement, well, defence and ball retention are clearly the key ones after 32 missed tackles and 12 turnovers conceded.
If those issues are not addressed, they will surely be punished by a Wallaby outfit which demonstrated its potent attacking threat in the 4237 victory over England.
The Aussies show six changes from that win at Twickenham, with lock Will Skelton, centre Samu Kerevi, try-scoring wing Max Jorgensen, scrum-half Nic White, prop Allan Alaalatoa and flanker Seru Uru coming into the side. League convert sensation Joseph Sua’ali’i moves to the bench.
TEAMS
WALES: Winnett, Rogers, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Murray; Anscombe, Bevan; G Thomas, Lake (c), Griffin, Rowlands, Beard, Botham, Morgan, Wainwright Replacements: Elias, N Smith, Assiratti, Tshiunza, Reffell, R Williams, Costelow, James AUSTRALIA: Wright, Kellaway, Ikitau, Kerevi, Jorgensen;
Lolesio, White; Bell, Faessler, Alaalatoa (c), Frost, Skelton, Uru, McReight, Valetini Replacements: Paenga-Amosa, Slipper, Nonggorr, Salakaia-Loto, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Sua’ali’i
Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
