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Youthful Wales sent a clear warning to the Wallabies after clinching a third Grand Slam in eight seasons with a hard-fought 16-9 win over Rugby World Cup finalists France.
The Welsh claimed some revenge for their tight World Cup semi-final loss to France, with winger Alex Cuthbert scoring the only try of an absorbing match before a 74,178-capacity Millennium Stadium crowd in Cardiff as they added to their 2005 and 2008 Six Nations titles.
Now they want to turn their rich promise into triumphs over the world’s top-ranked countries New Zealand, Australia and South Africa – starting with their three-Test tour to Australia in June.
“There was a relief at the fact that we hung on and won the game,” said Gatland, speaking after adding the victory to previous successes over Ireland (23-21), Scotland (27-13), England (19-12) and Italy (24-3).
“Our big aim is to start being consistent and beating the southern hemisphere teams and I think we’ve got a young enough side that over the next few years we can hopefully do that.”
Gatland’s team have long threatened to spark a real rebirth of Welsh rugby, having pushed the touring SANZAR sides close on several occasions – and even notching up a couple of rare wins – in the November internationals.
But after reaching the World Cup semi-final, when Wales lost 9-8 to France, Gatland’s troops finally started to deliver on a pragmatic game plan inspired by some young, giant backs and marauding jackals at the breakdown.
Captained by 23-year-old flanker Sam Warburton, the Welsh team has an experienced thread running through its front and second rows, and in 29-year-old scrum-half Mike Phillips.
But the back row is fired by Toby Faletau, 21, and Dan Lydiate, 24. Rhys Priestland masterminds things from fly-half with a maturity belying his 25 years, and wingers Alex Cuthbert and George North, the latter still a teenager, flank yet more young players in centres Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies, and fullback Leigh Halfpenny.
“In this campaign we’ve shown some great character, fantastic maturity. We’ve been down in games, we’ve learnt how to win and win ugly on a couple of occasions,” said Gatland, now the frontrunner to take the British and Irish Lions to Australia next year.
“We’ve accepted some of the tags of being favourites, and that hasn’t always sat well on our shoulders.
“For a young side, they’ve coped incredibly well and I’d like to think it will be good for us as a team over the next two or three years.
“Good sides defend desperately and they show character without the ball, and that’s what this team is doing.”
Attack coach Rob Howley, a former Wales captain and scrum-half, missed out on any Grand Slam glory as a player but was quick to dismiss any ideas that this Welsh team had achieved too much too early.
“Everything they’ve achieved, they’ve deserved,” Howley said. “Sometimes all that hard work is not measurable.
“The measurable thing they’ve got is that they’ve won the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam and this side’ll even get better over the next four years.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.