Warren Gatland warns Six Nations rivals to ‘write Wales off at your peril’

Warren Gatland believes that people will write Wales off at their peril in this season’s Guinness Six Nations.

The form guide suggests another difficult campaign for Wales after collecting the wooden spoon last season for the first time since 2003.

They are on a record losing run of 12 successive Test matches, having not tasted a Test victory since beating World Cup pool opponents Georgia 15 months ago.

And while head coach Gatland has been able to reinforce his squad with returning players like Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau – they have 255 caps between them – a tall order awaits.

Gatland has lost Autumn Nations Series captain Dewi Lake to injury – Mason Grady, Sam Costelow, Ryan Elias, Archie Griffin and Adam Beard are also among those sidelined – and a ferociously-tough opener awaits against France in Paris on January 31.

A 34-strong Six Nations group features 17 players with single figures in terms of caps, while nine have played in three Tests or fewer.

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.

Gatland, though, knows what it takes in the Six Nations, given that his first spell as Wales boss between 2008 and 2019 was sprinkled with title and Grand Slam successes.

“For us, the challenge was that after the World Cup we lost 18 players and so much experience,” Gatland said, 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.

“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.”

After tackling France, Wales face Italy in Rome – the scene of their last Six Nations victory in March 2023 – then host Ireland and England either side of meeting Scotland at Murrayfield.

Gatland added: “It is definitely a tournament of momentum and building on confidence. You win a couple of games early on, and you build on that and then you have got a chance of doing exceptionally well.

“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.

“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 us within our group, and almost like a siege mentality in terms of going to Paris.”