Warren Gatland
The bookmakers have installed South Africa as overwhelming favourites, but Wales coach Warren Gatland has his eye on a 2-0 sweep for his team.
If Gatland was a betting man he would have jumped at the 18-1 on offer by some SA bookies for a Welsh series win.
It is not surprising for a coach to publicly back his side, but Gatland went further by suggesting that only 2-0 series victory will do when they meet the Springboks in Durban (this Saturday 14 June) and Nelspruit (next week, 21 June).
rugby365
“My target for this tour is to win,” Gatland told walesonline.co.uk.
“I had only just been in charge when we were here in 2008.”
“We were well beaten in the first Test and came back and were unlucky in the second Test. We were in front and had a couple of rough calls go against us in the second Test,” he told the Welsh website.”
“We need to start well and get some confidence and hopefully we can win. A couple of years ago in Australia we were very unlucky, we were close to South Africa in the autumn and we are not here to make up the numbers.”
“We are here to build, get some confidence and hopefully to win the series.”
Meanwhile Gatland revealed Dan Lydiate’s leadership skills on last season’s British and Irish Lions tour persuaded the Wales coach to give the flank the national captaincy for the first time.
The blindside flank has recovered from a hamstring injury and will lead Gatland’s men into battle against Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.
Gatland disclosed they had given the captaincy to Lydiate after watching footage of the Racing Metro forward leading the B&I Lions to victory over Rebels last year.
“When we looked at that and the video of his motivational speaking we thought that was pretty good,” Gatland told walesonline.co.uk.
“There were places at stake then and he came through so it is the same message for him and others who play well.”
“He jumped at the chance to lead his country and we are looking for more of the same as we saw from him last year.”
Gatland was considering switching Lydiate to openside flank for the Tests following the injuries to captain Sam Warburton and fellow Lions back row forward Justin Tipuric.
At least Jake is no longer the only coach who talks a “pot kak” anymore.
“oh but boet, these June tests are a waste, bunch of second stringers boet, lets rest all the bokke”
This is going to be a tough serious.
series*
@2 MB
True, these June tests are only there to give the SR champions elect a bit of a breather.
Ps. Do you think the Waratahs are enjoying their rest?
😆
@ nortierd:
hehe They are taking a break from the toughest competition in the world to represent their country.
@MB
Lol, but at least they are only playing Le Poof, less intense than a game of touch rugby at Clifton Beach.
@ nortierd:
and we were continuously being told we are just playing a weakened scotland team… who cares, rest all the players lol
@ nortierd:
hoe gaan dit met jou Jerry? 😀
MacroBok wrote:
Goed, en jy Tom?
😉
8 @ MacroBok:
9 @ nortierd:
Hello, hoe gaan dit met julle 2 werklose sielle?
@ grootblousmile:
haha ek het my werk al oor lunchtyd klaar gemaak, hou nou net n ogie.
Another bucket list not going to happen cupcake
@ Gatland bedoel voor my tjommies my skeef aankyk
grootblousmile wrote:
Ha ha
Goed en jy?
Ek werk baie hard hoor 😯
@ nortierd:
om hier kak te praat is my part-time job.
MacroBok wrote:
Ha ha
Jy moet vir Jake vra of hy nie n appie soek nie, as jy wil kak praat, leer by die meester
“De Jongh was admitted to a Durban hospital on Sunday evening with a severe chest infection. He will in all likelihood only be discharged by Wednesday and will not be ready to take on Wales this weekend.”
Doubt he was in line to play, just glad he is ok.
Marnitz Boshoff rolled ankle at training in CT, has a grade one ankle sprain. Medical team hopeful he will train later this week.
@ nortierd:
I would not say he had no shot to play, he definitely had a better shot than the last two years… but if HM wanted to see how Fransie and JPP would combine, it would be counter productive to abandon that now in a test match situation.
@ MacroBok:
HM has decided that those 2 will be his centers, we read all about how excited he is about JP, and Frans was always going to be his nr 12.
@ nortierd:
My biggest worry is when JDV returns and we accommodate him at 13, it is a real shame de Allende got hurt though, I think he would surely have played.
@ MacroBok:
Yep, real pity about de Allende, although de Jongh has looked good as well.
HM is quite headstrong, so he already made a number of comments regarding Frans and JP as his centers, so I can’t see him doing an about turn and not selecting them in the further tests.
@ nortierd:
I tihnk serfontein will definitely still get gametime, but I expect a big backline vs wales, so its possible JPP could wing it against george north.
@ MacroBok:
Would rather consider Mvovo then
@ nortierd:
but we have to face it there wont be a lot of changes, if anything we could only see changes in the front row, maybe one in the backline, fdp maybe?
@ MacroBok:
Not sure if he will change the front row.
Bissie will throw a hissy fit if he doesn’t play, and the other 2 are “the best” we have.
Fourie will probably get a start
meyer needs to be careful with some of these guys. not for now but for the 4 nations championships later. you know jake won’t rest his players so come august we could have some players who are dead on their feet or worse injured.
@ Stormersboy:
True, but the onus should also not be on Meyer to rest them.
Unfortunately some of the players are caught in the middle, on the one side their franchise is in a good position to win the SR and on the other the Bok coach needs them if he wants to select his best team.
Neither coach is wrong, only their priorities differ
Sure and no player is going to say no but Meyer will need a backup plan for a few of these players who will invariably fall off form due to exhaustion or of course get injured. I would be inclined to rest some of them against Scotland and give some of the 2nd stringers a go. I am really worried about August which is the real prize if we are honest. .
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