Gatland: Write Wales off at your peril

Warren Gatland says he’s comfortable for Wales to be written off as title contenders after a tumultuous interval forward of the World Cup in France.

Gatland returned to Wales this season after Wayne Pivac was axed following a disappointing 2022 marketing campaign, however the former British & Irish Lions boss has not impressed a lot of a turnaround in outcomes lower than a 12 months on.

His comeback has been clouded by off-field drama, and has overseen only one win from 4 matches for the Welsh Dragons’ within the 2023 Six Nations.

In a Pool C with Eddie Jones’ Australia, a robust Fiji aspect, a Georgia workforce that slayed the Dragons in November and Portugal, the consensus is that Wales might wrestle to exit their group, not to mention problem for the Webb Ellis Cup.

Nonetheless, writing in his column for the TelegraphGatland mentioned that’s solely driving him to show the naysayers fallacious.

“There appears to be a number of negativity round Welsh rugby on the minute. I can perceive that; it has been a troublesome few months on and off the sphere for everyone,” wrote Gatland.

“However, privately, it makes me smile. Folks can write us off all they need. Let me inform you, contained in the camp the messaging may be very completely different.

“All through my teaching profession, I’ve at all times beloved an against-the-odds problem, from the primary day after I grew to become player-coach at Irish membership aspect Galwegians on the age of simply 26.

“We’ve got had the benefit over a few of our rivals by with the ability to begin our coaching camps earlier. The gamers have been coming in, working exhausting and having fun with one another’s firm. We’re in a position to get on with our preparations underneath the radar.”

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