Gatland wants ‘ruthless’ display from Wales

WARREN GATLAND has demanded an 80-minute show of “ruthlessness and concentration” when Wales pursue a prized and all too rare Tri Nations scalp today.

World champions South Africa, led by their imperious second-row forward Victor Matfield, will arrive at the Millennium Stadium as firm favourites to strike another knockout blow for the southern hemisphere heavyweights.

Wales’ repeated failure to the crack the code of success against world rugby’s big three is hardly something they have inherited under Gatland. Admittedly, his record with Wales against them is not good – played 11, lost 10 – and another loss this weekend would allow the harbingers of doom a field day just two weeks before the All Blacks roll into town.

“In football terms, we are going out every week and having a crack against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal,” head coach Gatland said. “We are a mid-table team trying to improve ourselves by playing against the best.

“It’s frustrating for me because we start well and then there’s a drop of tempo, or we start poorly and pick it up. We have to get our act together and maintain ruthlessness and concentration for 80 minutes. We are putting players under pressure at training, replicating the intensity of matches.”

Meanwhile, South Africa scrum-half Ruan Pienaar is wary of the threat posed by his under-fire opposite number Mike Phillips. Phillips has been Wales’ first-choice number nine, when fit, since Gatland took charge but has come under pressure following his performance in last weekend’s 25-16 defeat against Australia.

The Ospreys half-back was part of a back line that failed to trouble the Wallabies defence, and replacement Richie Rees added some much-needed tempo to the attack when he made a try-scoring appearance late on.

Many pundits had expected Cardiff Blues man Rees to start Saturday’s Millennium Stadium contest, but Gatland has opted to keep faith with Phillips and Ulster player Pienaar knows his side cannot afford to take a fired-up Phillips lightly if they are to follow up their victory over Ireland in Dublin with another win in Cardiff this weekend. He said: “I have not read any papers this week but I know he is under a bit of pressure. You don’t become a bad player overnight though and he is one of the better nines in world rugby. Every time he gets picked in the Welsh jersey, all the players around him are confident.

“I’m sure he will have been working hard this week to try and get back to his best.”