{"id":291358,"date":"2023-10-05T22:27:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T22:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=291358"},"modified":"2023-10-05T22:27:04","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T22:27:04","slug":"warren-gatland-highlights-hard-work-as-wales-aim-to-continue-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-union\/warren-gatland-highlights-hard-work-as-wales-aim-to-continue-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Warren Gatland highlights hard work as Wales aim to continue progress"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Warren Gatland says there is no secret to Wales\u2019 Rugby World Cup consistency as they build towards a fourth successive quarter-final appearance under his direction.<\/p>\n
Wales need a point from their final Pool C game against Georgia on Saturday to top their group.<\/p>\n
A record 40-6 victory over Australia in the previous fixture secured a last-eight spot, with Argentina or Japan now awaiting them.<\/p>\n
Wales made two semi-final exits and suffered one quarter-final defeat during Gatland\u2019s first stint as Wales head coach, and they are once again on a similar path.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there is any secret, it\u2019s just hard work,\u201d head coach Gatland said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all spoken in the past about the opportunities in World Cup years, with the extended preparation and time you get with the players, and the detail you can put into things.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys have worked extremely hard in the (training) camps we\u2019ve had, which has put us in good stead and good shape in terms of being able to take our game forward, being confident and comfortable playing for 80 minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited about where we are, and we are looking forward to going deep into this tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message has been about continuing to improve as a side, just taking one game at a time.<\/p>\n
I don’t think there is any secret, it’s just hard work<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know we are in the quarter-finals, but we want to finish top of the group and it is trying to win four from four.\u201d<\/p>\n
Georgia beat Wales 13-12 when the countries last met in Cardiff 11 months ago, and while Gatland says that game has had no bearing on Welsh preparations, he readily voiced his admiration for Georgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a little bit of a history lesson this morning before training,\u201d he added. \u201cThey are a small nation, a proud nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like to think when we are at our best it is sometimes with our backs to the wall, and they epitomise that sort of attitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the Vikings came to England, they didn\u2019t want to come across the border to fight the Welsh because of how mad they were and how much they wanted to defend their own territory and space.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Georgians are very much like that. If you look at their history, they\u2019ve had their own battles and wars as well. We are very aware of that and how proud they are as a people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about November\u2019s game, Gatland said: \u201cWe are not looking back. We haven\u2019t spoken about that as a group at all. We are just completely looking forward from our own perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn all these games, it doesn\u2019t matter who you are playing against.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that first 20 minutes of the game it can be pretty tight because everyone is pumped up. Everyone is fresh and making things difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is about making sure we are accurate, and that is definitely something we\u2019ve worked on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talked about becoming a tough team to beat, and if you are a tough team to beat then often the performances and results take care of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n