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'Sometimes we look outstanding, other times not so much' - Gatland

By Ben Spratt

Warren Gatland was delighted with Wales’ 38-14 win over Italy after he made 10 changes to the side that lost to Ireland last time out.

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Gatland’s decision to hand minutes to fringe men against the Six Nations’ bottom side was seen as controversial by some, but the hosts cruised to victory at the Principality Stadium with George North scoring a brace.

And the Wales coach considered Sunday’s game to be a big success as the much-changed team took five points and climbed into second place ahead of next weekend’s final-round clash with France.

“It’s job done,” Gatland said. “It’s what we wanted.

“To make that many changes and win comfortably was pleasing. Some elements were frustrating and we’ll work on that. But we achieved what we wanted to do and we have our destiny in our own hands next week.

“[Playing after so many changes] is always tough. That cohesion takes time. It always looks easier in training. Sometimes we look outstanding, other times not so much. That’s to be expected.”

Gatland was particularly pleased with the performance of Hadleigh Parkes, who scored one try and was denied a second.

“[Parkes] doesn’t make any mistakes,” he said. “That’s the difference between quality players. They can go through games and not make mistakes.

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“That’s his second man of the match. He’s so accurate. He has a boot, a good pass. He’s got an all-round game.

“He’s a bit of glue for us at the minute. We have good players but they sometimes need a cool head around them to keep them calm at times.”

Parkes starred as one of the five players to keep their place, later agreeing with his coach’s assessment that winning with a supposedly weakened team is a big positive for Wales.

“It’s a huge opportunity for a lot of the boys,” Parkes told BBC Sport. “It’s about building depth going forward. It’s quite exciting really.”

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On the battle for second place, he added: “It’s very exciting and makes next weekend very exciting. It’s going to be another big game. Hopefully we can put in another performance.”

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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