Howley warns Slam party is over

Howley believes Wales will take a full strength squad to South Africa

Rob Howley has warned Wales' triumphant heroes their Grand Slam party is over.

Howley insists Wales' summer tour to South Africa is their "acid test" and Warren Gatland wants to face the world champions with a full-strength squad.

The Wales assistant coach said: "We must move on from our win as we haven't played the world's top four teams yet.

"Past history shows, particularly in Wales, that we like to enjoy the moment for too long which has been detrimental to the game. That won't happen again."

606: DEBATE Is Howley right, do the Welsh bask in the glory for too long?

Wales play the Springboks twice on their June tour before the giants of the southern hemisphere come to Wales in the autumn.

South Africa open the autumn internationals at The Millennium Stadium on 8 November and will be followed by the All Blacks in Cardiff on 22 November and Australia on 29 November.

"Don't get me wrong, the players enjoyed a Grand Slam party on Saturday night and probably well into Sunday morning," Howley told BBC Sport.

"The coaches sunk plenty of champagne too but that has gone now, the Grand Slam has been achieved and now we have bigger targets.

"South Africa are the world champions and they will be our acid test, they'll be the barometer to find out where we really are in world rugby because we haven't played any of the top four.

"The Welsh coaching staff have a winning mentality, we want to be the best and that means beating the best.

WALES FIXTURES - REST OF 2008 7 June: v South Africa (Durban) 14 June: v South Africa (Pretoria) 8 Nov: v South Africa (Cardiff) 15 Nov: v Canada (Cardiff) 22 Nov: v New Zealand (Cardiff) 29 Nov: v Australia (Cardiff)

"There's still a great deal of work to do before we can go to South Africa with a realistic opportunity of beating them.

"But the players have taken on board how hard we want to play and train so they've an idea of the work that needs to be done if we're going to beat the world champions on their own turf."

Previous Wales regimes have rested senior players for summer tours but after winning a Grand Slam in his first campaign as Wales coach, Gatland looks set to buck the trend.

The tough New Zealander has indicated that he wants his European champions to be at full strength in South Africa.

Howley admitted: "I think we'll take a near full-strength squad to South Africa.

"If you are going to gauge yourself against the world champions, you have to take your best players available.

"And I think the players that carried Wales to a Grand Slam will be in the box seat for selection on the summer tour.

"We haven't had detailed discussions as a coaching team but Warren is of the mindset that the same squad will go.

Warren is a master at putting the right coaching team together Wales backs coach Rob Howley

Wales scrum-half great Howley won a Heineken Cup under Gatland during his time in charge of Wasps and as soon as the Kiwi was appointed Wales coach, he wanted Howley to be part of his backroom staff.

Howley, the Cardiff Blues skills coach for two-and-a-half years, was appointed Wales' backs coach when Wasps head coach Shaun Edwards was named Wales' defensive guru.

"Warren has proved time and again that he is a master at putting the right coaching team and environment together," said Howley.

"He knows trust and loyalty are the underlying indicators for success.

"We all challenge each other. Shaun challenges Warren, I challenge Shaun and Neil Jenkins challenges all of us - that's why it's working.

"Talent has never been a problem in Wales, it's just the direction."

Howley hailed Edwards's defensive impact as Wales conceded just two tries in the whole Six Nations.

"International rugby is all about defending," said Howley.

"And in Shaun Edwards we have the best defence coach in world rugby.

"Shaun is very good at putting systems in place and he is very up front in how to get them across to the players and our defence will only get stronger."