A DEFIANT WARREN Gatland says he โabsolutelyโ has the desire to continue in his role as Wales head coach.
Speculation continues to rage about Gatlandโs future after a record run of 11 successive Test match defeats.
World champions South Africa are next up for Wales on Saturday, with the Springboks overwhelming favourites to emphatically extend that losing sequence.
A South Africa victory would mean Wales going the entire calendar year without winning a Test, which has not happened since 1937.
โIf you start thinking about other things, it is a distraction you donโt need,โ said Gatland, after naming a team showing four changes from the one beaten 52-20 by Australia.
โI think we have been pretty clear in terms of the plan weโve had. Weโve got a group of young players that need a bit of time.
โI have been pretty honest in terms that I understand the pressures of international rugby with performances and results. We can only work as hard as we have done.
โI am aware of the pressure and that decisions could be made outside of my control. Weโve just asked for a little bit of time. Whether we get that time, we will have to wait and see.โ
Asked if he had a strong desire to continue, Gatland replied โabsolutelyโ, while also confirming he would consider resigning if he thought it was in Welsh rugbyโs best interests.
Gatland, meanwhile, ended speculation that he might have had a break clause in his contract with the Welsh Rugby Union after the Six Nations, confirming that was not the case.
During his first stint as boss between 2008 and 2019, Wales were twice World Cup semi-finalists, in addition to winning Six Nations titles and Grand Slams.
But this time around Wales have plummeted outside the worldโs top 10-ranked countries and have won just six of 23 Tests under Gatlandโs direction since he returned in late 2022.
Wales host the Springboks on the back of a comprehensive defeat against Australia and home loss to Fiji. They have not won a Test since the 2023 World Cup.
Gatland revealed on Sunday that he had spoken with WRU executive director of rugby Nigel Walker and WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood immediately after the Wallabies game.
Brothers in arms in Cardiff on Saturday ๐#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold
โ Springboks (@Springboks) November 19, 2024
After the Springboks encounter, Walesโ next game is a tough Six Nations opener against France in Paris on 31 January.
Gatlandโs switches from the side crushed by Australia see starts for wing Rio Dyer, fly-half Sam Costelow, lock Christ Tshiunza and number eight Taine Plumtree.
One positional change, meanwhile, has wing Blair Murray moving to full-back instead of Cameron Winnett.
Dyer wears the number 11 shirt worn by Murray in the last two games, with Costelow replacing Gareth Anscombe, Tshiunza taking over from an injured Adam Beard and Plumtree replacing Aaron Wainwright.
On the replacementsโ bench, meanwhile, there is a role for uncapped Gloucester forward Freddie Thomas, and his club colleague Josh Hathaway is also included.
๐จ ๐งรฎ๐บ ๐๐๐บ๐ฟ๐ ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ
โ Welsh Rugby Union ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ (@WelshRugbyUnion) November 20, 2024
Here is your Wales 2๏ธโฃ3๏ธโฃ to take on @springboks in our final @autumnnations fixture this Saturday at @principalitysta, 17:40 KO! ๐ฅ๐#AutumnNationsSeries | #WALvRSA
A gulf in experience between the two teams is highlighted by the Wales matchday 23 having a total of 334 caps, whereas the Springboks bench alone boasts 431.
Gatland added: โLast weekโs result hurts, and we are just as disappointed by it as the fans.
โThere were good elements that we can definitely build on going into Saturday, but we have to improve our accuracy.
โWe know what a quality side South Africa are and the physicality they bring. This week we need to show real courage and front up against the world champions.โ
Wales
15. Blair Murray (Scarlets)
14. Tom Rogers (Scarlets)
13. Max Llewellyn (Gloucester)
12. Ben Thomas (Cardiff)
11. Rio Dyer (Dragons)
10. Sam Costelow (Scarlets)
9. Ellis Bevan (Cardiff)
1. Gareth Thomas (Ospreys)
2. Dewi Lake (Ospreys, captain)
3. Archie Griffin (Bath)
4, Will Rowlands (Racing 92)
5. Christ Tshiunza (Exeter)
6. James Botham (Cardiff)
7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys)
8. Taine Plumtree (Scarlets)
Replacements:
16. Ryan Elias (Scarlets)
17. Nicky Smith (Leicester)
18. Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff)
19. Freddie Thomas (Gloucester)
20. Tommy Reffell (Leicester)
21. Rhodri Williams (Dragons)
22. Eddie James (Scarlets)
23. Josh Hathaway (Gloucester)
South Africa
15. Aphelele Fassi
14. Cheslin Kolbe
13. Jesse Kriel
12. Damian de Allende
11. Kurt-Lee Arendse
10. Jordan Hendrikse
9. Jaden Hendrikse
1. Wilco Louwe
2. Johan Grobbelaar
3. Thomas du Toit
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Franco Mostert
6. Siya Kolisi (captain)
7. Elrigh Louw
8. Jasper Wiese
Replacements:
16. Malcolm Marx
17. Gerhard Steenekamp
18. Vincent Koch
19. Eben Etzebeth
20. RG Snyman
21. Cameron Hanekom
22. Cobus Reinach
23. Handre Pollard
The welsh backs seem very small, certainly compared to the recent past. Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Alex cuthbert, George North, Mike Phillipsโฆ all big men.
Ireland would want to be carefull too, we have a lot of players 30 and over, if they all start retiring over a short period, we wil be losing a lot of leaders/experience
@Liam23: there is better players coming through for most of them
Hasnโt he already offered his resignation twice in the last 12 months?
@teuO6nLS: Until itโs finished a house is just a pile of bricks- heโs 1 year in . We deserve another year of this media coverage, Yes please ..
@Stuart: come on stuart itโs not even a pile of bricks and Mr hand grenade is no magic man with the right ingredients
@teuO6nLS: Do you know if that was a full resignation (and therefore forfeit any payout) or โmake me an offerโ resignation? It really is a hopeless situation- honestly itโs hard to see where theyโre going to get their next win. This could get more ugly still.
I would be very keen to stay on if I was being renumerated to the tune of 600k a year and donโt even have to win a game in a calendar year