By Paul Jones
Warren Gatland has told Wales fans they need to be patient – even though they have now been waiting over 400 days for a victory.
In comments that will stretch credulity among most supporters, the Wales coach said his team needs more time, even though the latest defeat – a 24-19 loss at home to Fiji – was the 10th in succession.
The remarks also contradict those of his assistant Mike Forshaw before the match, who stated that the “excuses” around a young team were over.
Gatland may have led Wales to Grand Slams and Six Nations titles in his first spell in charge, but his second stint now includes ownership of the joint worst record of any Welsh coach.
Only Steve Hansen, in 2003, had previously suffered a losing run that ran into double figures, but now Gatland has matched that number.
With matches to come against Australia and South Africa this autumn, not many will back his to end the losing sequence at 10.
Yet, Gatland is still beating the same drum he has now been striking for over a year – that Wales are a young and inexperienced team who are still finding their way.
Gatland – who writes a regular column in The Daily Telegraph – also claimed any pressure building on him was caused by “the media”, rather than results.
Forshaw in week – ‘pain with bringing in young players’ is over, no excuses, in the business of winning rugby
Gatland after loss today- “We’ve said we need some patience and time”, “I thought we were pretty unlucky on some calls against us…” https://t.co/tmTWdpjJ1h pic.twitter.com/Cq0PoFy1xp
— Russ Petty (@rpetty80) November 10, 2024
“The pressure comes externally, basically from the media as it’s a narrative that you create,” said Gatland after being asked whether he felt his position was under threat.
“That’s okay from where I sit. We’ve said for the last 12 months since the World Cup, with the number of players and experience that we’ve lost, that we were going to invest in a group of youngsters we felt we could build with and take us on.
“We’ve seen development from those youngsters. We’ve said we need some patience and time.
“But I understand Test match rugby is about performing and winning.”
The shambolic state of Welsh rugby – off the field as well as on – seemed to be encapsulated by a replacement decision being made, which Gatland claimed was not the one he had asked for/
The New Zealander admitted Wales sent on the wrong player from the bench during a sobering defeat on another dark day for Welsh rugby.
Fiji triumphed for the first time in Cardiff and if that unwanted piece of history was not bad enough, the post-match inquest revealed an element of farce as Gatland said Wales had incorrectly replaced injured winger Mason Grady in the 17th minute with outside-half Sam Costelow.
Gatland had gambled on a 6-2 split on their bench with only two backs available and assistant coach Rob Howley stressed at the pre-match captain’s run that scrum-half Ellis Bevan would replace an injured winger.
Gatland to Costelow: https://t.co/LdF4F6vo2A pic.twitter.com/xxiPO45GeJ
— Ricky Harries (@RickyHarries) November 10, 2024
But Costelow played on the wing until the 64th minute before replacing Gareth Anscombe at outside-half.
Bevan came on to the wing at that point and scored Wales’ third try in the closing stages.
“Ellis was supposed to go on,” Gatland confirmed after Fiji overcame Wales for only the second time in the history of the fixture.
“I need to get to the bottom of that. We were talking and said we’re going to put Ellis on and then Sam’s ran on the field.
“I think he might have assumed he was the person going on.
“We had already had those discussions with Ellis that if we do lose a winger, you’re going to need to cover us there.”
Wales have not tasted success since beating 2023 World Cup pool stage opponents Georgia.
Warren Gatland says we (the media) “create the narrative” and the pressure on him and his players. As if all the rugby fans across Wales don’t have damning verdicts of their own
It doesn’t need us to create any narrative. They’ve done that themselves by losing 10 in a row
— Ian Hunt (@IanHunt77) November 10, 2024
Wales led 14-3 but a red card for Semi Radradra – who was sent off for a dangerous tackle midway through the first half but allowed to be replaced due to World Rugby’s 20-minute red-card trial – galvanised Fiji.
Fly-half Caleb Muntz scored 19 points through a try, four penalties and conversion, with centre Josua Tuisova’s late score sealing matters.
Gatland said: “I’m in favour of it (red card trial) if it’s not deemed to be reckless or deliberate.
“There’s no arms in there and he’s gone for the shoulders, and there’s head to head contact.
“If you catch someone high it can be a 20-minute red card, but they’ve to deem whether it’s foul play of a certain standard.
“I think it keeps the game alive and it’s probably given Fiji an opportunity to get back in the game. I don’t see that as bad for the game.”
Reappointing Warren Gatland as head coach of Wales raised eyebrows in NZ, particularly considering his brief and less than stellar return to New Zealand rugby. It’s surprising that, given the team’s performance, there hasn’t been a more thorough review of the coaching strategy.…
— Alexander Of Christchurch (@WiseWordsAlex) November 10, 2024
Fiji were thrashed 57-17 by Scotland in their Autumn Nations Series opener at Murrayfield but were bolstered by the presence of several Europe-based players and deserved their win.
The South Seas Islands lived up their world ranking – which, at 10, is one place higher than Wales’ – and rarely looked troubled after they weathered an early storm.
Head coach Mick Byrne said: “We had 10 new players coming in at the beginning of the week to join the others, so it’s real satisfaction of a job well done and the result.
“I was just ecstatic for the players. I know how hard they’ve worked. Some players have played on this ground a few times and haven’t had success so for them this was brilliant.
“When we finally got there I was a bit relieved actually as they were hammering our line.”
