'There is a lot of value in what Andy can teach us' - Will Rowlands

Wales have tapped into the expertise of psychology and human performance specialist Andy McCann to help navigate their Guinness Six Nations campaign.

And lock Will Rowlands believes there is “a lot of value” to what McCann, whose portfolio includes work with Olympic rowers and armed forces, can bring.

The Wales players have already taken part in workshops ahead of Friday’s tough tournament opener against France in Paris.

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McCann assisted the Wales senior men’s team between 2009 and 2017, and his advisory role sees him covering mental skills and performance.

“I have already found him to be a very interesting source of information you wouldn’t have heard elsewhere,” Rowlands said.

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“I am mindful that I can get to him, speak to him and pick his brains as much as possible. I think he can be a very useful resource for everyone.

“You name it, he seems to have worked with people dealing with high pressure situations and strategies around how to best calm yourself and hopefully give the best account of yourself in the moment that you are trying to perform in.

“There is definitely a lot of value in what Andy can teach us. We are looking to try and add the little percentages here and there that can all add up to be quite a big difference to how you perform.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland added: “I think the positive about Andy is when he is presenting to the group, he is talking about the realities of professional sport, real life and creating resilience in terms of mental toughness.

“He has worked with Olympic rowers to break records, he was with the military. He has got a wealth of knowledge in other disciplines, too.

“The message is always the same. It is about hard work, and it is not always easy.”

One of Wales’ biggest current challenges is finding a way to win Test matches, having not achieved that feat since the 2023 World Cup.

They are widely expected to suffer a 13th successive Test loss at Stade de France, where Les Bleus will welcome back skipper Antoine Dupont to the Six Nations arena after he missed last year’s tournament because of Olympic sevens preparations.

Rowlands, who plays his club rugby for Paris-based Racing 92, said: “I think we are confident that we can put together a good performance and try to enjoy ourselves playing the rugby the way we want to play, and see what happens.

“We are obviously very respectful of the quality of the French team. I think everyone is pretty much up to speed about what we are going to face.”

Gatland has spoken about Wales developing a siege mentality as they embark on a tournament for which most bookmakers have written them off as an 80-1 title shot.

“It has definitely been like that since we have come into camp, after what has happened over the last 12 months or so and the narrative of what has been around Welsh rugby,” Rowlands added.

“People having zero expectations of us, I think that is a positive place for us. There is only one way out, one way up.

“There is always pressure when you play. In some ways it takes off a bit of pressure.”