The China Mail - Gatland 'hurting' after exit as Wales rugby coach

Gatland, 61, left by mutual agreement with the Welsh Rugby Union last week after overseeing a national record run of 14 successive Test defeats.

The New Zealander's second spell in charge of Wales yielded a mere six wins in 26 Tests, with Matt Sherratt appointed on an interim basis for this season's remaining Six Nations games against Ireland, Scotland and England.

"The negativity will go away, it will go. Am I hurting a little bit? Yes, of course I am hurting," Gatland told Britain's Daily Telegraph on Wednesday. "But I will get over that quickly."

The 61-year-old went on to reflect on what he called the "must-win" nature of Wales' Six Nations clash against Italy in Rome on February 8, which his team lost 22-15 and proved to be his last match in charge.

"If we didn't win that game, then I'd have to seriously consider my position," Gatland explained. "It would be the best time and the best thing for everyone to walk away.

"In the past I have gone into games always nervous. But excited, a little bit apprehensive, nervous about what's going to happen."

He added: "Recently, I've been going into games nervous, probably not feeling that sort of positivity and not having that belief. Almost dreading the game and the results and the negativity that follows.

"I've felt a huge amount of negativity in the Welsh press, and that just kept weighing down on me. I just kept thinking, 'where is someone in my corner or someone fighting a little bit for me?'"

Gatland's second spell in charge was in marked contrast to his first from 2008-19, when Wales won three Six Nations Grand Slams, reached two Rugby World Cup semi-finals and were briefly ranked as the world's number one team.

Welsh media reports suggest Cardiff boss Sherratt is poised to make wholesale changes for Saturday's match at home to champions Ireland, where another loss would create a new Welsh record of nine Five or Six Nations defeats in a row.

Nottingham-born Scarlets back Ellis Mee is in line for a Test debut while Gloucester's Max Llewellyn and Gareth Anscombe, recalled by Sherratt after both backs were left out of Gatland's Six Nations squad, could also start.

Wales have lost seven of their last eight games against Ireland, now under a caretaker boss of their own in former Scarlets captain Simon Easterby while Andy Farrell is seconded to the British and Irish Lions for the tour of Australia later this year.

"A lot of people I speak to understand this is a low point, but they are excited about the chance for us to try to get back to where we were two or three years ago," said Wales back-row forward Aaron Wainwright.

"I highlight 2019 as being my best year in a Welsh shirt, when we won the Six Nations and then reached the World Cup semi-finals. We want to get back to where we were then as soon as possible."

K.Lam--ThChM