Wales' battle for World Cup spots is heating up says Gatland
REACTION: Warren Gatland is confident his Wales side will be “desperate to perform” at Twickenham next weekend as competition for places in his World Cup squad heats up.
Gatland, in his second spell as Wales boss, will announce a 33-strong squad for the showpiece tournament later this month.
Wales launched their warm-up campaign with a heartening 20-9 victory at home to England in Cardiff on Saturday, running in two well-worked tries and preventing their arch-rivals from scoring any themselves.
Several senior Wales players did not start the match but both sides could be stronger come the return warm-up in southwest London, with England coach Steve Borthwick set to name his World Cup squad on Monday.
But Gatland, who guided Wales to a fourth-place finish at a 2019 World Cup in Japan where England were the runners-up, was happy with the options at his disposal ahead of next month’s showpiece in France.
#⃣REPORT: @WelshRugbyUnion ended a dour period under Warren Gatland and put down a #BIG @rugbyworldcup marker with a 20-9 win over a hapless @EnglandRugby in #Cardiff on #Saturday #Rugby 🏉#RugbyUnion🌏#WALvENG 🏴V🏴
🔗https://t.co/KWqaIVMxSu pic.twitter.com/qaL3fzxTY6— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) August 5, 2023
“There is a lot of competition in the squad,” the New Zealander said.
“In 2019 when we won the [Six Nations] Grand Slam, we had a settled side and we knew what a large number of our World Cup squad was going to be.”
Gatland added: “I can tell you now there is a lot of competition in this team. It’s a good start, and the pleasing thing is there’s a group of players who will get an opportunity next week who are desperate to perform.
“I think the boys showed the work we’ve done over the past eight weeks or so that we are in a pretty good place, physically.”
Wales kept England scoreless in the second half, having been down 6-9 at the break, with scrumhalf Gareth Davies and centre George North scoring tries both converted by fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who also marked his 100th Wales appearance with two penalties.
Among the players who shone for Wales in front of a 65,000 Millenium Stadium crowd on Saturday was flyhalf Sam Costelow.
“I will take a lot of learnings from it,” Costelow said. “It showed me where I want to be and where I can get.
“I have been doing a lot of work with [Wales assistant coach] Neil Jenkins in the training week, helping me with kicking and the game-management side of things. It is about keeping improving.”
Wales begin their Pool C campaign of the World Cup proper against Fiji – the team that knocked them out of the 2007 edition in France – in Bordeaux on September 10.
