Alun Wyn Jones sings Warren Gatland’s praises
Wales' coach Warren Gatland after the Guinness Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday March 16, 2019. See PA story RUGBYU Wales. Photo credit should read: David Davies/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only, No commercial use without prior permission
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones sang the praises of his coach, Warren Gatland, after their 25-7 Six Nations triumph over Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday.
The victory means Wales secured the Grand Slam for the third time under Gatland’s guidance after they also achieved the feat in his first season in charge of the team in 2008 and also in 2012.
And Jones believes Gatland deserves plenty of credit for the side’s achievement.
“Anything can happen when you work hard and you’re a proud nation, and we’ve shown that,” he said after the match.
“Warren’s the man at the top and we’ve been under pressure, but he’s always been unwavering. He’s got a bit left on his contract, but I’m sure we’ll miss him when he’s eventually gone.
“At times we’ve been unconvincing so we like to think there’s still potential in us. We’re well aware we’ve just put a big target on our backs before the World Cup.”
Gatland meanwhile hailed his charges and singled out his captain for special praise.
“It was a fantastic performance and we didn’t look too tired, did we? We spoke beforehand about the players playing for themselves, their families and the fans and being able to create a bit of history. You can never take that away from them now,” he said.
“I said if we won the first game against France we’ve got a good chance of winning the whole thing. If that creates that bit of belief in the players then maybe something like this can happen.
“Alun Wyn Jones has really matured as a player. He’s done a great job of leading the team in this campaign. He’s tough, he’s resilient and he deserves all the adulation he gets.
“We’re just trying to slip under the radar. We know on our day that we’re capable of beating good teams so I think we’ll have a break now and start preparing for the World Cup.
“These boys will run through a brick wall for you. They’re a really tight group and really close to each other. If we go there with a bit of luck and not too many injuries we’ve got a good chance of beating anybody.”