"Discipline didn't help us" – Italy 22-15 Wales: Warren Gatland reacts to 14th consecutive Welsh defeat
Yesterday at 04:27 AM
Wales' discipline proved rather costly as Wales fall to a new low as they now sit in 12th place in the World Rugby Rankings after an another brutal defeat at a drenched Stadio Olimpico. Their 22-15 defeat to Italy means they have now fallen to their lowest ever ranking and now sit below Georgia.
There was some kind of late onslaught from the visitors as Aaron Wainwright crashed over, Italy were reduced to 13-men in quick succession and Matt Carley awarded a penalty try, but it proved not to be enough. As Ange Capuozzo's brilliant finish in the corner was enough to see Italy pick up their first win of the 2025 Six Nations.
Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!
Now the serious questions begin to be asked as this defeat most definitely puts Warren Gatland on the brink of losing his job.
Gatland sat down at the post-match press conference and here are the main talking points.
Is time nearly up for Warren Gatland?
"When you're under pressure, some of your decision-making goes off-cue," said Gatland.
"You definitely feel the pressure as a team that hasn't won for a while. It's the same when we've been on winning streaks.
"You can see the composure and the calmness of the team, waiting for those opportunities. That's just where we are at the moment. We just need the bounce of the ball and a couple of decisions to go our way. Those things can quickly turn around.
"It's not the easiest position to be in but you have to be strong in terms of that, continue to go back as a group of players and look at the review stuff, highlight areas where we can still get better.
Back at the end of the Autumn Nation Series, Gatland was under threat of losing his job after a winless 2024 and was even told that there needed to be improvements in this Six Nations.
"We trained well but we just have to make sure that we are a bit more clinical," admitted Gatland.
"That's what we're focusing on, some of the turnovers, the soft penalties allowing them easy access out of their 22 or to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
"Those are the things that hopefully are fixable. They are fixable. We just have to keep hammering home how important those parts of the game are in terms of us kicking accurately and to make sure we are better disciplined."
Is this Welsh team better than a 14-game losing run ?
The last time Wales tasted a test match win was against Georgia at the Rugby World Cup back in 2023 and since then they've not won.
"We've been in those games for periods and we knew today's game was going to be an arm wrestle because of the weather conditions. At 3-3 we had done that and Josh will be disappointed with how they've ended up scoring, we've missed a couple of our chances as well.
"You just have to keep working hard and know that at some stage those things are going to come, you are going to get the bounce of the ball, that decision that goes your way.
Wales Now at an All Time Low
After yesterday's 22-15 defeat to Italy, Wales now sit at the lowest they have ever been in the World Rankings. This is because Georgia put aside the Netherlands 40-7 to climb above Wales in the rankings.
On this Gatland said: "It's disappointing.
"That's where we are at the moment. Obviously we will continue to work hard to try and rectify that and to give these players some confidence and self-belief so they can go out there with that calmness in terms of their skills and decision-making process to hopefully execute the things we've been working hard on.
"We're frustrated as a group of players, there is no one more disappointed than we are. There was a great contingent of fans, they are incredibly supportive of the players and want them to do well. We're disappointed we could not give them something more to cheer about," concluded Gatland.
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