Rugby World Cup: Warren Gatland reflects on Wales turnaround since Six Nations woes ahead of Argentina quarter-final | Rugby Union News

“I know there are some people and some teams out there who won’t want to face a Wales team when they start playing with confidence and when we start having momentum,” says head coach Warren Gatland ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final against Argentina

Warren Gatland says it would be “a huge achievement” if Wales reach their
third Rugby World Cup semi-final in the last four tournaments by beating
Argentina on Saturday.

Gatland’s team face the Pumas in Marseille after dominating a pool that some thought they might not qualify from following a dismal Six Nations campaign last season.

Four successive wins and 19 points collected saw them leave sides like Fiji and Australia in their slipstream to set up the Pumas clash at Stade Velodrome.

The match kicks off at 4pm on Saturday.

“It would be our third semi-final, and then in 2015 we were leading South Africa for 75 minutes (in the quarter-finals) and conceded at the end,” Gatland said. “Reflecting on that, we would be pretty proud.

“I have always spoken about how much I have enjoyed the World Cup preparations.

“It is the only time you get to feel like you are a club side in getting that detail done. You feel like you have made a huge amount of progress.

“After all the challenges during the Six Nations, with the potential (player) strike and the contracts and the money with the Union (Welsh Rugby Union) and regions, as coaches we would joke about what would happen next, what would be the next thing thrown at us?.

“I definitely think there has been a line in the sand drawn under that. If we can make the semi-final it would be a huge achievement for this group of players and coaches, who have done a great job, and the backroom staff have been outstanding.

“I know there are some people and some teams out there who won’t want to face a Wales team when they start playing with confidence and when we start having momentum.

“That is when we are at our most dangerous. We are starting to look that way at the moment.”

Gatland expecting Argentina to ‘come really hard at us’

Wales have not met Argentina in the World Cup for 24 years, but their recent form against them is impressive, having lost just two of the last 11 Tests.

And while Wales sailed through their group, Argentina lost to 14-player England, unconvincingly beat Samoa and then defeated Japan in what was a quarter-final eliminator.

Gatland added: “We are expecting them to come really hard at us. I don’t think anything changes, and the players are well aware of that.

“We talk about being on the edge mentally and you can’t be there at the top of that every single week, so it is how close you can get to it.

“We’ve had a couple of games already where we feel we have been really on the edge in a positive way, and a couple of games where we have been off two or three per cent, so it is how close you can get to that 100 per cent mental peak.

“I am expecting that will be right up there from that physical challenge that will come at us.”

Who starts for Wales against Argentina?

Dan Biggar and Liam Williams return to Wales’ line-up for the must-win quarter final clash against the Pumas in Marseille.

But Gareth Anscombe is still not fit having dropped out of last week’s game against Georgia with a groin injury.

With Taulupe Faletau ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after suffering a broken arm during Wales’ win over Georgia, Aaron Wainwright is in at No 8.

Jac Morgan returns to captain the side from the back row with Tommy Reffell, along with first-choice hooker Ryan Elias and scrum-half Gareth Davies.

Nick Tompkins and George North continue their centre partnership for the fourth time in France with the latter set to make his 20th appearance at the Rugby World Cup.

Wales: 15. Liam Williams, 14. Louis Rees Zammit, 13. George North, 12. Nick Tompkins,11. Josh Adams, 10. Dan Biggar, 9. Gareth Davies, 1. Gareth Thomas, 2. Ryan Elias, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Will Rowlands, 5. Adam Beard, 6. Jac Morgan (c), 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements 16. Dewi Lake, 17. Corey Domachowski, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Dafydd Jenkins, 20. Christ Tshiunza, 21. Tomos Williams, 22. Sam Costelow, 23. Rio Dyer.

Argentina 15. Juan Cruz Mallia 14. Emiliano Boffelli 13. Lucio Cinti 12. Santiago Chocobares 11. Mateo Carreras 10. Santiago Carreras 9. Tomas Cubelli 1. Thomas Gallo 2. Julian Montoya (captain) 3. Francisco Gomez Kodela 4. Guido Petti 5. Tomas Lavanini 6. Juan Martin Gonzalez 7. Marcos Kremer 8. Facundo Isa.

Replacements 16-Agustn Creevy 17-Joel Sclavi 18-Eduardo Bello 19-Matias Alemanno 20-Rodrigo Bruni 21-Lautaro Bazan Velez 22-Nicolas Sanchez 23-Matas Moroni.

Follow Wales’ Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina on the Sky Sports website and app from 3.30pm on Saturday.