Warren Gatland is approaching the final year of his contract with Wales but is not slipping gently into his goodbye. The longest-serving head coach of a tier-one nation has assembled the strongest squad in his 11-year reign as he aims to go out at the top in Japan.
Wales’s 2015 World Cup tilt was ultimately undermined by injuries and a feature of Gatland’s first decade in charge was that he lacked the strength in depth of his rivals. His problem when picking large squads has generally been who to include to make up the numbers, but next year he faces leaving proven international players at home.
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While Eddie Jones frets about his lack of options at openside, Gatland is fielding two in the second Test against Argentina in Santa Fe – James Davies, who excelled against Argentina last week, and Ellis Jenkins, who was outstanding against South Africa the week before – while three others are at home: Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Josh Navidi.
Wales have beaten South Africa and Argentina this month while resting most of their Lions who toured New Zealand last year. Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, Dan Biggar and Ken Owens will return to the squad aware that reputation will not get them as far as it did.
More than that, Wales have added gusto and panache to their staple fare of unstinting determination. “It is great to have won the first two games, but we are not throwing everything out of the window to make it three,” Gatland said. “The bigger picture is more important.”
Gatland’s opposite number, Daniel Hourcade, is in need of a victory. Argentina’s last significant one was against South Africa two years ago and defeat in San Juan last week was typical of their form since the last World Cup.