Gatland has hunger to turn struggling Wales around

Head coach Warren Gatland says he still has the desire to help turn around a Wales side who have lost nine successive internationals.

Wales were beaten 36-28 by Australia in Melbourne on Saturday as the Wallabies secured a 2-0 series win.

Wales' latest defeat makes this their longest run of matches without a Test win during two spells under Gatland, who was in charge from 2008 to 2019 and returned the role before the 2023 Six Nations.

Wales are now just one loss away from equalling the nation's worst losing sequence of 10, recorded between 2002 and 2003 under Steve Hansen.

Gatland has won just six of 21 matches since returning to the Wales job.

Wales finished bottom of the Six Nations this year for the first time since 2003 and have slipped to 11th in the world rankings, their lowest ever position.

Asked whether he still had the hunger for the challenge of reviving an ailing Welsh side, Gatland responded: "Yeah, absolutely. I'm excited by this group. I can promise you, this is going to be a really good team.

"We did say all along, and have been clear, we probably need to go through a little bit of pain.

"We're in that process of players getting some more experience. I don't know what else you want me to say."

Gatland reiterated that the development of the Wales side is a long-term project.

"Our whole planning was to pick a group of youngsters after the experience we lost from the World Cup to develop through to the World Cup in 2027 in Australia," he added.

"If you're another team at the moment, and having seen how much we can improve as a group, you won't want us in your World Cup pool."

While there is a tour match to follow against Queensland Reds in Brisbane next Friday, Wales do not play another international until Fiji arrive at Cardiff's Principality Stadium in November.

By then the national side will have gone 13 months without a Test victory, since victory over Georgia in a World Cup group game in October 2023.

The Fiji fixture launches an autumn schedule also featuring Australia and world champions South Africa, before Wales embark on a testing Six Nations campaign which begins against France in Paris, one of three away games in the tournament.

Asked whether he believes he can turn the team around next season, Gatland replied: "I'm confident this is going to be a good team.

"I can see signs we're in games, we're pressurising teams and quality opposition players. I hope you can see that as well.

"We're just hurting ourselves at the moment by some of our turnovers and mistakes [which] are allowing easy ins to the opposition team.

"You fix those things up, keep working hard to be accurate and they become wins."

Gatland pointed to the inexperience of the Wales pack on show against the Wallabies.

"We know where we are, but we'll continue to keep working hard," he said.

"It was a forward pack with 112 caps out there. They'll learn from that experience but you've got to learn quickly.

"The thing is to go away from this tour, continue to work hard individually and collectively, to be ready to go in the autumn."

Gatland felt Australia had been more "streetwise" than his team during the series.

"The frustrating thing is how hard we worked for our points and how easily we conceded points," said Gatland.

"They are just a bit older and they've come from Super Rugby. [They have] a lot of guys who have been involved in quarter-finals and semi-finals.

"I can't question the effort and how hard the players have worked. We are just a bit naïve in a few things and not accurate enough."