Coach Warren Gatland warns Wales ahead of summer Tests
Warren Gatland talks to BBC Wales' Scrum V show about his World Cup plans
Warren Gatland has warned his players not to get carried away after Wales beat Italy in their Six Nations finale.
The coach hailed "some outstanding rugby" in the 33-10 win ahead of tough summer Tests against world champions South Africa and the mighty All Blacks.
"We have a few tough months ahead with South Africa and New Zealand which will really test us," Gatland said.
Gatland will name a full-strength squad for Wales' three end-of-season matches against the Springboks and New Zealand.
James Hook touched down twice and record try-scorer Shane Williams celebrated his 51st international score as the Welsh beat Italy 33-10 at the Millennium Stadium.
The convincing triumph concluded a "frustrating" Six Nations campaign for Gatland's Wales after his team lost to England, France and Ireland and needed an extraordinary stoppage-time comeback to beat Scotland in Cardiff.
Another fourth place means Wales, Grand Slam champions in 2005 and 2008, have finished outside the top three Championship positions for the ninth time in 11 seasons.
Highlights - Wales 33-10 Italy
And six of their next seven internationals are against the three southern hemisphere super-powers in the run-up to the 2011 World Cup - a two-Test tour of New Zealand following South Africa's visit to Cardiff on 5 June.
Wales - who also host New Zealand, Australia and the Springboks in November - have not beaten the All Blacks since 1953 and lost their last 10 matches against the South Africa since 1999.
So Gatland is well aware the Welsh must improve despite a comfortable victory over the Six Nations Wooden Spoon winners and a Italian team that Wales have lost to just once in Championship history.
"We played some outstanding rugby (against Italy), created chances and we showed what we are potentially capable of," Gatland told BBC Sport.
"There are still aspects of our play we can work on but at least the result against Italy was a confidence builder.
"It has been a frustrating campaign as a whole as I felt we haven't performed to our potential as there's a couple of games we let slip.
"And we think our position in the table doesn't reflect where we are as a team. But we still have a lot of things to work on.
"Yet on our day, if we get everything right and keep working, we're a side that can trouble any team in the world so we must build on the performance against Italy and hopefully some confidence comes out of it.
New Zealand is the toughest place to tour in world rugby
Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards
"And I spoke to Nick Mallet, the Italy coach, after the game and he said the only two teams they fear in the Six Nations, if they get it right, is France and Wales.
"They feel they can handle the other teams but say if France and Wales get it right, they have the firepower and play with such intensity and tempo that can put them under huge pressure."
Wales have the toughest possible autumn series before another gruelling Six Nations and a two-Test summer series with arch rivals England at the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham.
Prior to that, Wales host South Africa at the Millennium Stadium on 5 June before Kiwi Gatland takes his squad to face the New Zealand Maori on 12 June and the All Blacks in Dunedin on 19 June and Hamilton on 26 June.
The Wales coach wants to give his men the best preparation for next year's World Cup in New Zealand - which starts in September 2011 - so the Welsh team will play the defending champions and the 2011 favourites this summer.
"Ideally we want to take the strongest squad we possible can," Gatland told BBC Wales' Scrum V show.
"As between now and the World Cup we don't get any easy games.
"We'll probably looking at taking a squad of 30 players, maybe a little less.
"The idea of the 2010 summer tour is to replicate the World Cup and replicate some of the venues we'll be playing at next year so we can familiarise the players with New Zealand and the venues.
But Ospreys star Hook is awaiting a shoulder operation, prop Gethin Jenkins and captain Ryan Jones are nursing an on-going calf problems, wing Leigh Halfpenny requires hamstring surgery while veteran flanker Martyn Williams may be rested.
However, most of Wales' British and Irish Lions players - who toured South Africa last summer - will be asked to extend another demanding season with another tour to the southern hemisphere and to the "the toughest place to tour in world rugby."
"We'll have to check on one or two players whether they are better off being rested in the off-season," said Gatland.
"But we've purposely gone out to play the best teams in the world so when the World Cup does come around we're in the best possible shape to go there and have a good tournament.
"To get better we have to perform consistently under pressure against the best teams week in and week out."
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