Warren Gatland Expresses Comfort Regarding His Future Amidst Team’s Struggles

Head coach Warren Gatland previously guided Wales to three Grand Slams and two World Cup semi-finals during his initial 12-year tenure. The upcoming Autumn Nations Series match between Wales and Australia is scheduled for Sunday, 17 November, with a 16:10 GMT kick-off at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Coverage will be available via commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, and BBC Sounds, along with live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app. Wales head coach Warren Gatland has indicated his acceptance of any forthcoming decision concerning his position, as the team aims to prevent an undesirable historical outcome this Sunday against Australia. Last weekend, Wales suffered a 24-19 Autumn Nations Series loss to Fiji in Cardiff, marking a record-equalling 10th consecutive Test match defeat. This recent setback matches the sequence of Test losses recorded in 2002 and 2003 under Steve Hansen, a fellow New Zealander of Gatland’s. Wales hopes to avoid an 11th successive defeat this weekend. When questioned about whether he believed his Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) superiors still had faith in his Wales team initiative, Gatland stated: “I’m probably not the person to ask in terms of those questions but I’ve been clear I’m comfortable with the decisions we’ve made.” “I didn’t think there’d be this much pain – Gatland” Gatland’s squad has not achieved international victory since defeating World Cup pool stage opponents Georgia in October 2023, subsequently falling to their lowest ranking of 11th in World Rugby’s standings. This challenging period includes Wales finishing last in the Six Nations for the first time in 21 years, experiencing summer losses against South Africa and Australia, and now suffering a maiden defeat to Fiji in Cardiff. Gatland commented: “We’ve tried to point out from the outset we need to go through some pain. I didn’t think there’d be this much pain.” He added: “There have been games where we haven’t been able to get over the finishing line and some close fixtures.” Regarding his future, Gatland remarked: “If a decision is made in terms of what you’re talking about [Gatland’s future], I’m more than comfortable with that. I’ve been around the game for long enough.” He humorously added: “I’ll probably go back to the beach, have a glass of wine and enjoy myself away from some of the pressure!” Since his return for a second tenure as Wales head coach in December 2022, succeeding Wayne Pivac, Gatland has secured six wins from 22 matches. The New Zealander was asked if he would contemplate resigning himself should poor results persist. Gatland replied: “I haven’t thought about it, we will see what happens. It is not in my mind at the moment.” Jamie Roberts (left) and Mike Phillips (right) were both members of the Wales 2015 World Cup squad. On Sunday, Gatland was questioned about whether his position was under threat, to which he responded by attributing it to a negative media narrative. Following the Fiji defeat, former players such as Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips, and Dan Biggar have since criticized his team, with Wales fly-half Sam Davies declaring “it is time for a change.” Gatland commented: “I never have been critical of anyone having an opinion.” He continued: “I encourage people to have an opinion. That’s always healthy for the sport.” Roberts asserts that Wales is currently at its lowest point in the professional era and is not progressing. He also disagreed with Gatland’s positive “spin” following the Fiji loss. The former Wales centre holds a position as a WRU board member, having been appointed as a non-executive director in November 2023. Gatland does not perceive this as a conflict of interest. Gatland stated: “I don’t have any issues with it, he is paid to do a job from a punditry point of view.” He further mentioned: “I know there are a couple of people who have contacted him and sent him messages and said he was a bit out of line, but that’s their opinion as well.” Phillips, who earned 99 international caps for Wales and the British and Irish Lions, posted on social media that he believed Gatland should depart, also criticizing the coach’s treatment of him and other players towards the end of their careers. Gatland recounted: “I hadn’t seen the comments, my son rung me about them and was probably more upset about them than I was.” He praised Phillips, saying: “Phillsy [Mike Phillips] was a great player for Wales, probably one of the best to pull on the Welsh jersey.” Gatland added: “Probably some of the things that have happened to him have been a little bit sad. I take some of those comments with a little bit of a grain of salt.” Wales has experienced defeats in all nine international matches played in 2024 thus far. Gatland maintains that he prefers to face the criticism himself rather than have it directed at his squad. He declared: “I am comfortable with the pressure so keep writing about me.” He explained his reasoning: “If you leave the players alone, that allows them to be more relaxed.” Gatland affirmed: “We have not thrown in the towel in any way.” He acknowledged the situation: “I am not happy with where we are at the moment and there is pressure. It’s a pressure potentially I don’t like, but I’m not uncomfortable with it because I understand where we are.” He concluded: “We can only continue to work as hard as we’ve been doing and hopefully we’ll get across the line.” Furthermore, Gatland expresses confidence that Wales will ultimately realize long-term advantages. He reiterated: “I believe in what we are doing 100%.” He added: “The conviction is there and if the conviction is there, it probably takes away a little bit of some of the noise coming towards us.” Gatland described his role: “My job is making sure we’re all on the same page as coaches and develop some confidence and self-belief in the players in what we’re doing.” He concluded by noting: “The positive vibes I’m getting back now, the players haven’t lost confidence.”