Warren Gatland has warned that people should write Wales off at their peril in this season’s Guinness Six Nations, despite the team being on a record losing streak.
The form guide suggests another difficult campaign for Wales after collecting the wooden spoon last season for the first time since 2003, with Gatland’s side on a run of 12 successive Test defeats and without a win since beating World Cup pool opponents Georgia 15 months ago.
Head coach Gatland has been able to reinforce his squad with returning players like Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau – who have 255 caps between them – although he lost Autumn Nations Series captain Dewi Lake to injury.
Gatland’s Wales team lost every Test match they played in 2024
Mason Grady, Sam Costelow, Ryan Elias, Archie Griffin and Adam Beard are also sidelined ahead of a ferociously-tough opener against France in Paris on January 31, with 17 players in Gatland’s 34-strong squad having made less than 10 Test appearances.
“For us, the challenge was that after the World Cup we lost 18 players and so much experience,” said Gatland, speaking at the Six Nations media launch in Rome. “You pick youngsters, and it takes a little bit of time. Some of the youngsters, seeing them develop is going to be a real positive.
“We are in a nice position because there is no expectation. People are writing us off. And I said the same thing before the World Cup (Wales were quarter-finalists). A lot of people were saying that we wouldn’t even get out of our group.
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“The message that time was you write us off at your peril, and things haven’t changed there. This is such a tough tournament to win. It is so hard. When you look back and you have won a Six Nations or a Grand Slam, there will be a couple of decisions that have gone your way, the bounce of the ball or you’ve had some luck in the tournament.”
Wales are an 80/1 chance with some bookmakers for the title and it will be a considerable achievement if they threaten a top-three finish, a far cry from when Gatland enjoyed Grand Slam successes in his stint as Wales boss.
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“It is the strongest that I’ve ever seen the Six Nations in terms of the quality of players and the quality of the teams,” Gatland added. “I can remember going back a long time when everyone would just be talking about France and England at the beginning of a Five Nations or a Six Nations tournament and who was going to win out of them.
“The others were sort of trying to fight for the scraps. People are writing us off, and I said it before the World Cup as well, you write us off at your peril. We have just got to create some confidence and self-belief within our group, and almost like a siege mentality in terms of going to Paris.”
Townsend: Scotland can compete despite key injuries
Gregor Townsend insists Scotland have the depth to overcome the devastating loss of Sione Tuipulotu to injury for the entire Guinness Six Nations.
Sione Tuipulotu will miss the Guinness Six Nations through injury
Tuipulotu, Scotland’s captain and star centre, must undergo surgery to repair a pectoral muscle that was damaged in training with Glasgow Warriors last week and is not expected to return until later in the season.
Stafford McDowall is the leading contender to be paired alongside Huw Jones, but Rory Hutchinson and Tom Jordan are also options.
“It’s a real blow for Sione so close to the tournament and it’s a blow to the tournament and our supporters that they don’t get to see him playing,” Townsend said. “But as a team you have to accept that injuries happen and that’s why you create depth over a longer period.
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“We have some really good 12s in our squad that now have an opportunity they probably didn’t think was coming along. We’re backing them to go and grab that opportunity.”
Tuipulotu’s absence sees Rory Darge and Finn Russell take over as co-captains – roles they performed in last year’s Six Nations until the Australian-born 27-year-old was installed as skipper for the autumn.
First-choice second-row Scott Cummings could also be sidelined for the whole competition because of a fractured arm, while hooker Dylan Richardson has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.
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