Wales coach Warren Gatland conceded being perplexed with how deep in the doldrums Wales were when he returned last December but has quickly turned around their fortunes and led them to a fourth successive Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Wales battle Argentina in Marseille on Saturday for a place in the semis — a prospect that would have looked a long shot less than a year ago when Gatland was persuaded back into the Wales job after the sacking of compatriot Wayne Pivac.
The New Zealander, who had a 12-year spell in charge of Wales from 2007-2019, returned to find the Welsh in disarray with players threatening to strike amid an uncertain future for the professional game in the principality.
“I didn’t realise a lot of the things that were going on and the issues that were behind rugby and the squad and the players,” Gatland said.
“At the time if I had known, I would have made a different decision and probably gone somewhere else.”
Initially Gatland seemed to struggle to get a handle on the situation as Wales lost four of their five games at the Six Nations. But since he has used his considerable experience to effect remarkable change in double quick time.
He has a record five World Cups as a coach. His first was with Ireland in 1999 and he took Wales to the semis in 2011 and 2019 and has learned a thing or two about effective preparation.
Wales’ squad has been together since June, starting with training camps in the heat of Turkey and then the high altitude of the Swiss Alps fostering a proper team spirit after putting to bed the rancour of the past months. “We had some home truths out there,” said experienced fullback Liam Williams.
Gatland’s recipe seems simple. “Give the boys a bit of confidence and continuity and it just shows what you can do. I think we missed a vision and bit of clarity. It’s not rocket science,” explained centre Nick Tompkins, one of the stars of the side’s rapid revival.
Gatland, turned 60 during the tournament in France, says the hard work offers Wales the ability to be “punching above our weight”.
“You get confidence from that and build momentum which makes us even more dangerous going forward,” he warned with the clash against the Pumas a chance for further confirmation of his excellent coaching credentials.