By Paul Jones
Warren Gatland says he “takes with a grain of salt” recent criticisms from former players following Wales’ record-tying 10th consecutive Test match loss.
Gatland also disclosed that stepping down from his role hasn’t crossed his mind, despite the rocky start to his second tenure as Wales’ head coach, which began ahead of the 2023 Six Nations.
Some former Wales players, including centre Jamie Roberts, who now serves as an independent non-executive director on the Welsh Rugby Union board, and former scrum-half Mike Phillips, voiced their concerns after Wales’ recent 24-19 loss to Fiji.
“Losing 10 on the bounce – that’s the worst Wales have been in the professional era,” Roberts commented during his role as a match-day analyst for S4C. “I understand the spin Warren is trying to give, but sorry, I don’t think Wales have moved forward.”
Literally no one’s messaged or contacted me ♂️ pic.twitter.com/kivNU1oJkb
— Jamie Roberts (@Jamiehuwroberts) November 13, 2024
Wales will face Australia in Cardiff on Sunday, and a loss would see them enter a historic low, setting a new record for consecutive defeats that would surpass their previous worst run under Gatland’s fellow Kiwi, Steve Hansen, back in 2002 and 2003.
“I haven’t really thought about it (his own position), we will see what happens. It is not in my mind at the moment,” Gatland said.
“I hadn’t seen the comments. My son called me about it this morning and asked, ‘Have you seen the comments?’ He was probably more upset about them than I was.
“I take some of those comments with a little bit of a grain of salt. I don’t have any issues with it. He (Roberts) is paid to do a job from a punditry point of view, and there are no issues from my perspective.
“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 is their opinion as well.
“Am I happy with where we are at the moment? No. Is there pressure? Yes.
“It is a different kind of pressure. It is a pressure that potentially I don’t like, but I am not uncomfortable with because I understand where we are at.”
Australia has bested Wales in nine of their last 11 Cardiff matches and arrive in the Welsh capital fresh off a remarkable victory over England.
“We can only continue to work as hard as we’ve been doing, and hopefully we will get across the line,” Gatland added. “Do I believe in what we are doing? 100 per cent.
“The conviction is there, and if the conviction is there it probably takes away a little bit of some of the noise that is coming towards us.
“My job is making sure we are all on the same page as a group of coaches, and developing some confidence and self-belief in the players in what we are doing. We have not thrown in the towel in any way.
“How do I take the pressure and be comfortable with it on me and take it away from the players so they can go and play with some freedom, back their skills and ability and not feel the pressure about the performance and the result.
“I am comfortable with the pressure being on me.”
Mike Phillips Calls For Warren Gatland To Go After A Year Without Winning
