Gatland challenges Wales to end NZ hoodoo
Gatland's men finished the Six Nations as runners-up behind champions England after a 67-14 thrashing of wooden spoonists Italy in Cardiff on Saturday.
Wales ran in nine tries in Cardiff for what was their largest margin of victory in the Six Nations, with the 53-point gap topping the 48 points they put between themselves and Scotland in a 51-3 home win in 2014 when Scottish fullback Stuart Hogg was sent off.
Far sterner challenges will await Gatland when the native New Zealander returns home for Wales's three-Test series against the world champions in June.
Wales's last victory over New Zealand was in 1953 and the All Blacks have won all the subsequent 26 Tests between the two countries.
It would be a major shock if Wales stopped that run this year, even though the likes of World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw and star flyhalf Dan Carter have both retired from Test duty.
"I don't think you would ever underestimate New Zealand with the quality of players they've got" said Gatland, whose team will warm-up for their trip with a Twickenham encounter against England on May 29.
"With any team, you have got to go and believe in your own ability."
Gatland took heart from the way Wales performed against Australia and South Africa at last year's World Cup in England.
Although both games ended in Welsh defeats, the Wallabies didn't manage a try in their pool encounter while the Springboks only triumphed 23-19 in a gripping quarterfinal thanks to scrumhalf Fourie du Preez's try in the closing stages.
"Everyone talks about Southern Hemisphere [teams] moving the ball wide and the points and tries they score. Well, the last two southern hemisphere teams we've played, Australia never scored a try against us and South Africa scored one in the last four minutes," said Gatland.
"We have got to go down there [New Zealand] believing that on our day and if things go right, that we are good enough to win."
Saturday's hammering of Italy saw Wales throw off the shackles just a week after a 21-25 loss to England at Twickenham helped end their title hopes.
"We have spoken about trying to change our game in this competition, and it doesn't happen overnight," said Gatland.
"We haven't quite clicked during this campaign, but there are times when we have clicked – the last part of the second half against England, and today, and in parts of other games where we have started to show something that looks like it is a game we can develop."
George North was among Wales's eight try-scorers – replacement forward Ross Moriarty crossed twice – against Italy.
In the process, North became only the second Wales player after fellow wing Shane Williams in 2008 to score tries in four successive Six Nations internationals.
"George has started to play in this campaign with a smile on his face and with real confidence," said Gatland, who added that flank Justin Tipuric had been taken to hospital with a head injury after falling at an early line-out on Saturday.
For Italy, defeat in French coach Jacques Brunel's final game in charge completed a miserable Six Nations where they lost all five matches and conceded 29 tries.
"I think there is not just one cause but many," said Brunel.
"We made mistakes we could have avoided…but we faced a very strong Welsh side. We were expecting a tough match and it certainly was."
Agence France-Presse
