Wales want Bok scalp
17 Mar 2008
Grand Slam-winning Wales coach Warren Gatland believes his side can seriously challenge the Boks.
Gatland has suggested he’ll take his strongest squad to South Africa for the two Tests on 7 and 14 June.
“We’ve won the Grand Slam, but don’t want to stop there,” he said. “You’ve got to test yourself against the best teams in the world and South Africa are No 1 at the moment.
“I honestly believe that this team over the next 12 months to two years will become a very good side, that will be difficult to beat and won’t be afraid to play anyone. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last seven weeks.
“To win over there at altitude, I know how tough that is. The guys have delivered on the principles we have had in putting our bodies on the line, putting pride back in the jersey and it is about carrying that forward.
“We go to South Africa with no trepidation, saying ‘let’s have a crack.’ We want to take the strongest squad over there we can.”
The only player Gatland is considering leaving behind is Martyn Williams, who was persuaded to come out of international retirement for the Six Nations.
Defence coach Shaun Edwards added: “We go down to South Africa as champions of the northern hemisphere and with that comes a responsibility to give a good account of ourselves against the current world champions.”
Wales have only beaten the Springboks once in 20 Tests since 1906 – a 29-19 win in 1999. They have lost all six Tests played against the Boks in South Africa.
The last time the teams met was in November last year, when the Boks won 34-12 in Jake White’s last Test as coach.
214 Comments
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17 Mar 2008, 04:07 am
Its early, but am thinking:
Crusaders
Cheetahs
Force
Stormers
Chiefs
Reds
To win
17 Mar 2008, 04:27 am
Howzit Coach
-saders
-Cheetahs
-Force
-Stormers
-Bulls
-Lions
Bulls surely can’t play that kak again?
17 Mar 2008, 04:28 am
or the Reds that well?
17 Mar 2008, 04:33 am
#198 BH, agree 100% on the normal rules comment dude!!
17 Mar 2008, 05:17 am
#193
Is this the same Wales that didnt make the semis of the RWC?
BH you keep bringing up the RWC,its been and happened.England made the finals somehow,all done and dusted.
If you are so wound up if comparing sides through the RWC how come England lost to Wales and Scotland recently?
17 Mar 2008, 05:20 am
#197
I am starting to like the new rules actually,besides the penalty try the other night,i counldnt figure that one out really but the rest i seem to be getting use to.
It is a quicker game,thats if your side wants it to be
17 Mar 2008, 05:58 am
Boks taking this side seriously
yeah right
17 Mar 2008, 06:59 am
They should never have disbanded TARA… skopskiet clearly needs help…
17 Mar 2008, 07:02 am
PdV has his eye squarely focussed on his employment contract rather than his as yet unnamed, untested, transformed team, so the Taffies might well pop a very nasty surprise to the smug “world champions”, if they’re not ultra-careful.
If they lose, it’ll be like the 2003-2007 England reign as “world champions” (yeah, right!) all over again.
17 Mar 2008, 07:06 am
Hey Big Hit, didnt wales concede 2 trys? Still bloody awesome though.
I hope the boks don’t underestimate this wales team. Confidence goes a long way, and I think wales certainly think they can be world beaters. If the boks don’t give the tests the respect deserved, they may be stunned. In saying that, I think the Boks will win at least one of the tests (depending heavily on PdV’s selections).
17 Mar 2008, 07:06 am
Agree with theTackler. On top of it all he does not even have any assitants appointed. He is facing a mountain to climb.
17 Mar 2008, 16:10 pm
tHEY ARE TALKING wALES UP IN THE NEWSPAPER THIS MORNING IN THE uk. tHEY ARE IN FOR A SURPRISE. I dont thibnk Wales could convincingly say they would beat any of the top 4 Super 14 sides, add “The Force” to that list. If the Springboks get together early enough and work on their patterns, they will have Wales for breakfast. if not, Wales have an outside chance of winning one test. Wales weren’t great on Saturday, France were just bloody awful. The Welsh Winger (forget his name, Williams I think) got the record for most tries scored in 6 Nations, he made the difference on Saturday, nothing else really. Just my opinion
17 Mar 2008, 18:09 pm
This is going to be classic…. Did anyone note the welsh commentators having orgasms whenever shane twinkle toes touched the ball?
After his try, “Is there a sharper wing in the world”…. made me wonder, do these idiots watch anything outside of 6N?
Williams is a midget, one hit from Burger or Smith or even Steyn and it’s over. He looks fast coz he takes about 14 steps per meter. He’s so short that he’s never sure if he has a throat ache or piles. He’s so short he turns his underpants pipes over, he kisses the ground without bending over.
Bring it on Wales. Wales will never beat the boks in SA. The best they can hope for is a day when we play like the bulls did this weekend, then we will only win by 5.
I can’t believe the arrogance…. NZ or SA u/21 wouldve won that grandslam. bah
17 Mar 2008, 18:12 pm
Oh on the other hand… it takes us about 4 games to re-learn the rules. now switching back from ELV is really gonna bugger us around, but on the other hand.. how much fitter will we be?
I think SA should do what NZ would do in this situation, make a point. Crush Wales by a record margin and stop these NH idiots from comparing themselves to us whenever they win the u/13 blind school C division tournament.
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