Gatland eyes end to Welsh woe

WALES have not beaten England at Twickenham in 20 years — but they have hired the ideal coaching team to break that headquarters hoodoo.

Head coach Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards together guided Wasps to a hat-trick of Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup crown, all in Twickenham finals.

“A lot of Wales teams have come here in the last 20 years and been sent home with their tails between their legs. It has been daunting and we know how difficult the task is going to be here,” said Gatland.

“But there is an air of optimism in the team. You have to show confidence in yourself coming here and I have tried to reflect that on the players.

“For myself and Shaun this has been a great hunting ground and any small thing that can help in the players’ preparation for the game can only be a plus.”

Wales’ last visit to Twickenham, in the build-up to the World Cup, backfired horribly as previous coach Gareth Jenkins fielded a shadow side against England’s first XV and they suffered a record 62-5 defeat.

That was Wales’ 10th straight defeat at Twickenham on a run dating back to 1988.

“The guys have not spoken at all about the thrashing prior to the World Cup. That was a humiliating experience,” said Gatland.

“But they have put that behind them and we are starting a new era.

“Shaun has been massive for the players. The intensity he brings to training sessions, the enthusiasm and the confidence comes from the experience of 25 years as a professional in rugby union and rugby league.

“He has been in big matches before and a lot of his personality has rubbed off on the players.

“The response from the players has been exactly what I expected. People have spoken about player power in the past, dissension and unhappiness. I can’t speak highly enough of how these players have approached things.”

Gatland is a fan of Wales’ expansive rugby but his stern message this week has been to make sure the fundamentals — the scrum, lineout and defence — are in order before they consider anything else.

That, however, will be easier said than done against an England pack featuring the likes of Andrew Sheridan, Mark Regan, Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw and Steve Borthwick.

“We are very conscious of the threat that England’s front five pose to us,” Gatland added.

“We have to match them in that area. If they do get a lot of dominance in the tight five it will be a long afternoon for us.

“Tomorrow is about us keeping our patience and getting involved in an arm wrestle.”