Warren Gatland is looking to build an excuse-free environment in the Wales camp as he gears up for his second stint in the hot seat.
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The 59-year-old’s first stint with Wales between 2007 and 2019 included a plethora of accolades, including four Six Nations triumphs, three Grand Slams, a spell at the top of the world rankings and a couple of semi-finals at the World Cup.
Troubled waters
However, Gatland takes over a team from his compatriot Wayne Pivac in distress as Welsh rugby is not in the best way from top to bottom.
In 2022 Wales lost to Italy for the first time in Cardiff in the final round of the Six Nations before showing some promise against the Springboks in July despite losing the series.
However, that was short-lived, as a first loss to Georgia in the Autumn Nations Series proved the straw that broke the camel’s back in the Pivac era.
Gatland knows the Welsh environment extremely well and is looking to build a “no excuses” attitude as he has done before.
“How do you create an environment where there are no excuses?
“That’s what I’ve done in the past, a no-excuse environment, so when players come into camp, you can get the best out of them.
“That’s what we’ve prided ourselves on in the past, being able to do that.
Pride in the jersey
“The challenge is doing that in the coming weeks so that players are excited about wearing that jersey and leaving everything on the pitch in terms of getting performances and results.
“One of the reasons when I spoke to Steve (Phillips, Welsh Rugby Union chief executive) was remembering the good times of being here, in front of 75,000 people.
“There is a lot of pressure and expectation, but that motivates you and gets you excited.”
The New Zealand-born coach has limited time with the side before the World Cup next year, with the 2023 Six Nations as the best opportunity to steady the ship before the showpiece in France.