News

Gatland wants a fitting finale

November 28 2008

Wales boss Warren Gatland has urged his team to "achieve something special" when they tackle Australia in Saturday's autumn Test series finale.

It is three years since Wales last beat major southern hemisphere opposition - a 24-22 victory over the Wallabies.

Gatland's men are desperate to end that frustrating wait, especially after dominating a half in each of their games against South Africa and New Zealand earlier this month.

Ultimately, Wales lost both encounters and did not even score a try, but they will not lack incentive on Saturday.

Beating Australia will be a tough enough task, especially as the Wallabies stand one win away from completing their first unbeaten European tour since 1996.

But if the reigning Six Nations champions could really click and triumph by 15 points or more - and England come unstuck against New Zealand this weekend - then Wales could enter Monday's 2011 World Cup draw in London as a top-four team alongside the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies.

"We want to achieve consistency, and any rise up the world rankings would certainly be a reflection that we may be going in the right direction," Gatland said.

"We want to play the best teams regularly in order to improve ourselves and raise our own standards.

"The most important thing is to get a result if we can.

"The statistics say Australia are a better team and they will rightly carry the favourites' tag, but we have the opportunity to achieve something special out of this autumn campaign.

"It is a chance we do not want to miss."

In order for Wales to send Australia packing, they will need composure in attack, a rock-solid defence and watertight discipline so that Wallabies marksman Matt Giteau is offered few chances with the boot.

But the ultimate key to victory could lie with a player whose presence on Saturday was only made possible following talks between officials.

Gloucester scrum-half Gareth Cooper could easily have been on club duty against Northampton, as Wales' fourth November Test falls outside the International Rugby Board autumn window.

There was no obligation for Gloucester to release Cooper, but they agreed after discussions between club chairman Tom Walkinshaw, Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive Roger Lewis and Rugby Football Union chairman Martyn Thomas.

"It is a big boost for us, especially the way he is playing," Gatland added.

"I thought he was good against the All Blacks with the accuracy of his passing and the manner in which he followed the game plan.

"We think he is developing as a number nine, and with his experience it is a massive lift for the squad."

On a negative note, though, Gatland appears to have lost a second Ospreys forward for Wales' Six Nations title defence, which begins against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 8.

Prop Duncan Jones, who has not featured during the November games but was part of Gatland's autumn Test squad, is unlikely to play again this season after undergoing surgery to fix a chronic stress fracture of his right foot.

It follows knee ligament damage sustained by lock Ian Evans during the New Zealand clash last Saturday. Evans faces a lay-off of six to nine months.