Gatland to turn Wales' fortunes around
SPOTLIGHT: Former Wales prop Adam Jones is confident that coach Warren Gatland can revive the team’s fortunes after 12 straight defeats as they prepare to face France in a daunting Six Nations opener on Friday.
Wales have not won a Test since beating 2023 World Cup pool opponents Georgia almost 16 months ago.
Now they face France in Paris with star player Antoine Dupont back for the hosts after he won Olympic gold in rugby sevens last year.
Jones, 43, featured in three Grand Slam-winning teams, two of those during Gatland’s first reign as Wales boss from 2007 to 2019, and won 95 caps. He also represented the British and Irish Lions.
He is now back in the Wales fold as scrum coaching consultant on secondment from English Premiership club Harlequins.
“It has been hard to see what has happened in the last couple of years but the boys and the coaches are working hard to put things right,” said Jones.
“What he [Warren Gatland] is good at, and certainly was when I was a player, was that backs-to-the-wall narrative.
“He brings players and teams together in a very short space of time and gets results out of them. He is exceptional at that. I am backing him to pull it around.”
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Wales have lost their past six Tests against France and are not expected to challenge for this year’s Six Nations title.
“The whole country and the whole rugby world thinks we are going to go there and get pumped,” Jones said.
“We are pretty confident we can go out there and do a job.
“It is a key thing out there if we can silence the crowd.
“It sounds a bit like ‘Gladiator’, when Oliver Reed says it to Russell Crowe.
“If we can silence that, it is half the battle won.”
