Wales head coach Warren Gatland says he remains « motivated » to lead the team despite a devastating 12th consecutive Test match loss. The dismal 45-12 defeat against South Africa in Cardiff consigned the Welsh side to their first calendar year without victory since 1937.
With a formidable Six Nations challenge looming, particularly with an opener against France in Paris on January 31, serious questions hover over Gatland’s future after losing 18 out of 24 Tests during his second tenure.
Gatland expressed his willingness to discuss his position with the « powers that be », suggesting critical talks will be held over « the next few days ».
Regardless of the turmoil, Gatland finds solace in Wales’ spirited display: « Look, I am motivated to want to be here. » He plans to consult those at the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and said: « We will just wait and see what happens in the next couple of days.
« I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t say the last few weeks haven’t been challenging and tough. We’ve questioned ourselves after each game, what could we have done better, what could I have done better in the week with preparation. »
The boss added: « That is no different to when you are winning, too. You will still ask yourself the same questions. It is seeing what happens over the next few days, go and chat with the powers that be and also talk to family, too.
« Like I said, the last couple of weeks have been challenging in terms of the amount of negativity. You are only human, and that has a little bit of an impact on you.
« You have got to assess what has happened in the last few weeks and talk to the right people. For a long time, I think there have been issues within the game. The success we’ve had in the past has probably papered over some of those cracks.
« We have talked about the dam bursting, and it has. It’s going to take a little time to fix it and get back on track. »
However, he sees a silver lining in the team’s potential: « What I saw today from this group of young men and players, it gave me a lot of positive hope that there is an opportunity for us to improve and get better for the Six Nations in terms of the learnings from this campaign. »
The match report detailed the Springboks’ dominant performance, with seven tries scored by Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi, Elrigh Louw, Jordan Hendrikse and Gerhard Steenekamp, while Hendrikse also contributed five conversions.
Despite the defeat, Wales managed to score through wing Rio Dyer and flanker James Botham, with Ben Thomas adding a conversion.
However, the damage was done early on as South Africa secured three tries in the opening quarter, leaving Wales to contemplate a third autumn loss after previous defeats by Fiji and Australia.
Gatland reflected: « It was a tough game. A really tough game. But I cannot question how hard our players tried out there – I thought they gave absolutely everything.
« When you play the world champions, you know how clinical they are, how effective they are, the power they can bring off the bench with the 6-2 split.
« For us, it’s going away from this campaign with a few players – not everyone – aware there is some conditioning work to do so they are in better shape for the next campaign. »
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