'There's still a lot of credit in the bank with Warren'

Ex-Wales captain Sam Warburton believes there are reasons for optimism heading into today's game with Australia

- LUKE BAKER

Wales's latest crushing defeat against Fiji has prompted plenty of soul-searching. A record-equalling 10th straight loss, a first-ever defeat to the Fijians at home and not a single win throughout 2024 have raised the pressure on head coach Warren Gatland to boiling point.

Plenty of former Wales internationals have opted to stick the boot in, with Mike Phillips going on a furious social media rant demanding Gatland be sacked, Alex Cuthbert saying the coach’s job is on the line, Dan Biggar admitting Welsh rugby is at a crossroads and perhaps most damagingly, Jamie Roberts – who is also an independent non-executive director on the Welsh Rugby Union board – claiming they haven’t moved forward as a side at all. For good measure, Roberts and Gatland are now in a war of words over whether the former centre has been rebuked for his comments, given his involvement with the WRU.

However, ex-Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton – who is working as a TNT Sports pundit throughout the Autumn Nations Series – takes a different approach, believing Gatland needs more time to turn things around, with the end of the 2025 Six Nations serving as his judgment day, providing the remaining autumn games aren’t a complete disaster.

“If you give someone two years [Gatland retook the role as Wales head coach ahead of the 2023 Six Nations], I think that’s fair,” explained Warburton. “Two years sounds like a long time but that’s around 25 Tests and I think that’s a good number. You’ve had the boys for a good amount of time.

“Fiji was one week into the autumn, I’ve always said get to the end of the campaign before making a decision. I mean, if it’s disastrous over the next two weeks, then obviously you might have to re-evaluate that.