“I haven’t really been in this situation too much before in terms of doing that,” he replied.
Gatland is certainly in uncharted international waters personally and will be cast adrift as the Wales coach with the worst ever run if Australia consign him to an 11th straight Test defeat at the Principality Stadium today.
The latest loss at home to Fiji last weekend saw the heat turned up still further on the New Zealander amid widespread criticism, including strong comments from his former players Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts.
Gatland said: “I’ve never been critical of anyone having an opinion. I encourage people to have an opinion. That’s always healthy for the sport. Criticism is part of the job and the role. Just keep writing about me and leave the players alone.”
He added: “Am I happy with where we are at the moment? No. Is there pressure? Yeah. But do I believe in what we are doing? 100 per cent.
“The conviction is there and that probably takes away some of the noise that is coming towards us.
“We are not throwing in the towel in any way. We will keep working hard as players and coaches and hopefully the tide turns pretty soon.”
This story is from the November 17, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the November 17, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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