Autumn Nations Series: Sam Warburton warns against sacking Warren Gatland as Wales boss unsure over future

Wales head coach Warren Gatland was unsure of his future after a 45-12 defeat to South Africa, and suggested the players needed to improve their fitness. Former captain Sam Warburton told TNT Sports that just replacing Gatland was not going to fix the problems with the side, as David Flatman thought it may take years to rebuild the team to match the best in the sport.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland said "the dam has burst" for his side as they lost 45-12 at home to South Africa, extending their record losing streak to 12 matches.

Gatland has been under pressure as his side have consistently struggled to get out of their slump, and the 61-year-old’s second tenure looks imperiled - their last Test victory coming in the 2023 World Cup. 

Gatland previously said that the current slump is the "most challenging" period of his career, and speaking to TNT Sports after their 12th straight defeat, he acknowledged that his future might not be in his hands alone.

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"It's about seeing what the Welsh Rugby Union has to say," Gatland said.

"You don't make a decision straight after a game, it's always tough coming to a press conference straight after a game before you've had time to catch your breath and look at some of the stats and numbers.

"Let's just see what happens over the next few days."

Gatland undecided on Wales future but 'couldn't ask for any more' in South Africa loss

Video credit: TNT Sports

Despite the loss, Gatland looked to the positives of coming up against a team as strong as the Springboks.

He added: "With a young group of players, I think they'll learn a massive amount from today's game against the world champions and, hopefully there's a step up next time when they play at this level with the intensity and physicality that a team like South Africa bring."

Gatland then claimed that a comedown for Wales was inevitable, and suggested that the players would need to work on their fitness in their time away with their clubs.

He said: "We've punched massively above our weight for a number of years, and we've been saying when the dam bursts, it's going to take a little bit of time to put things right, and the dam has burst.

"I think it's making sure, collectively with the regions, that we work together. I think we need to be in better shape from a conditioning point of view. 

"So when they turn up for the Six Nations they're ready to go from Day One."

WARBURTON SAYS NO QUICK FIX FOR WALES

Former Wales captain Sam Warburton believes that the problems for Wales go beyond the manager, and that replacing Gatland would not be the simple solution.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

"There's good people there," he said. "I think people want a magic bullet. There is no one magic bullet for this situation.

"It's so multifaceted. Warren's done amazing things for Wales. Whether he stays or whether he goes, it isn't going to make up a 30-point deficit overnight. No one can do that."

Former England international David Flatman echoed those thoughts, adding: "You can get rid of your head coach, if you want. You can put someone else in. They might bring some more coaches with them. But can you fix the system in the short term? 

"Equally, does Warren Gatland want to be there for the next five years? I mean, it could well take four, five, six years for Wales to get back to the sort of standards they were at when guys like Jamie [Roberts] were playing and they were winning Grand Slams. 

"It might take that amount of time. It's a hell of a project. South Africa are at the end of it. They're at the top of the mountain. Wales are very much at the bottom."
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Watch and stream the Autumn Nations Series on TNT Sports and discovery+

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