 WRU chief Roger Lewis and coach Warren Gatland watch Wales Sevens |
New Wales coach Warren Gatland has warned his players that they will be tested to the full in training sessions as he seeks to mould a winning team. "At times in training we're going to put them under some stress, under some pressure," Gatland told Scrum V.
"I'm going to tell the players that now there's time to train I'm going to try and break a couple of them.
"I'm going to try and break them physically and mentally and see how tough they are."
Gatland officially began his new job on Saturday and was in Dubai watching the Wales Sevens side, who were beaten in the semi-finals of the third-tier Bowl competition.
The former Wasps and Ireland coach said his training methods were as much about building mental toughness as physical skills.
"It's about intensity and making sure we work under pressure," Gatland added.
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"Hopefully if you do that enough times in training then when you come to the game you're prepared for it.
"There is absolutely no excuse for a player pulling on an international jersey and not dying for the cause.
"If he doesn't and he's holding something back, then he doesn't deserve to be there and I'll be reiterating those points pretty strongly to the players.
"I'd like to think that the players will really enjoy the environment, I'd like to think they'll learn.
"They're going to be playing a style of rugby and training that they're hopefully going to find thoroughly challenging, but enjoying knowing they're working hard.
"If I can create that environment then it's going to go a long way to us getting some results on the field."
Gatland watched Wales' 34-12 loss to South Africa in Cardiff last week under caretaker coach Nigel Davies and believes there were encouraging signs despite the reverse.
"I thought there were a lot of positives out of the performance, the score was probably a reflection of where the team is at the moment," Gatland said.
 | I can tell you that Welsh rugby will get heart and soul from me Wales coach Warren Gatland |
"I was a little bit worried after the first 20 minutes that it was going to be a bit of a blow-out but the guys stuck at it.
"The line-out functioned pretty well, apart from a couple of key line-outs when they needed to be secured, the scrum was under a bit of pressure.
"But probably for me the contact area was the big one. The South Africans dominated that and to me that's going to be a real work-on, just getting our contact skills, our contact technique.
"I'll be making sure we do a lot of work on that and ball retention, ball possession over the next few months."
Gatland revealed that he did harbour ambitions to coach his native New Zealand, but for the four years his Wales contract has to run he is dedicated to his role.
"Starting next week I'll be pretty busy just getting my head around a few things back in Wales and I'm just really looking forward to the challenge," Gatland said.
"I think for all coaches they want to coach at the highest possible level and people say to me about New Zealand, but I can tell you that Welsh rugby will get heart and soul from me.
"I'll give everything I can and do my best to devote entirely to Welsh rugby to improve it.
"I really hope that in four years' time when I'm finished that I leave Welsh rugby in a better state, that there's two, three, four coaches who can step up and take my place and hopefully that there's a legacy left behind.
 Gatland's first game is the Six Nations opener against England |
"I'm very conscious of that and there's an obligation to make sure this is not about me, this is about me doing the best that I can to improve Welsh rugby."
Gatland's first game in charge is the RBS Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham on 2 February.
"The Six Nations is such a 'confidence' tournament that if you can get a couple of wins and a bit of confidence, then you can get another couple of results," Gatland said
"You lose a couple, you lose a bit of confidence, then you've really got your backs against the wall to try and dig yourselves out of a hole.
"For me, Twickenham on the 2nd of February - the first game - it couldn't get much tougher.
"But I've a little bit of an advantage having been involved with Wasps in a number of games there, a number of pretty good victories, and a pretty good insight into a number of the English players.
"Hopefully that's going to help us but it's a big ask, Wales haven't had success at Twickenham for a long time now.
"That's one of the boxes over the next few years that I want to tick off, trying to achieve things we haven't for a long time."
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