Pressure mounts on Gatland after 10th Wales loss in row
A new wave of pressure is mounting against Warren Gatland after his Wales outfit extended their winless run to 10 games against Fiji on Sunday in the Autumn Nations Series.
The Pacific Island nation toppled Wales 24-19 to win their first ever rugby match in Cardiff, and did so despite a red card for Semi Radradra.
It is their 10th consecutive Test loss, equalling a run between 2002 and 2003 under the reign of fellow New Zealander Steve Hansen, with Gatland admitting Wales weren’t helped by sending on the wrong substitution after an injury.
“Ellis [Bevan] was supposed to go on [instead of No10 Sam Costelow],” Gatland said. “I need to get to the bottom of that. We were talking and said we’re going to put Ellis on and then Sam ran on the field.”
“The pressure comes externally. We’ve said for the last 12 months since the World Cup, with the number of players and experience that we’ve lost, that we were going to invest in a group of youngsters we felt we could build with and take us on.”
Added Gatland: “We’ve seen development from those youngsters. We’ve said we need some patience and time. But I understand Test match rugby is about performing and winning.”
Elsewhere Scotland rued missed chances after failing to score a try in their 32-15 defeat to South Africa.
Finn Russell kicked all 15 of Scotland’s points but a brace from Makazole Mapimpi, plus tries from Thomas du Toit and Jasper Wiese, won it for the world champions.
Wales face Australia next week with Scotland taking on Portugal.