Wales didn’t look tired! – Gatland aims dig at Jones after Grand Slam success

Warren Gatland aimed a dig at England boss Eddie Jones after Wales sealed the Six Nations Grand Slam with a brilliant 25-7 victory over Ireland in Cardiff.

Wales made light work of the 2018 champions at the Principality Stadium, with Hadleigh Parkes crossing inside two minutes and Gareth Anscombe adding 20 points from the tee.

They were unable to hold on for a shutout, though, as Jordan Larmour touched down beyond the 80th minute for Joe Schmidt’s side.

England needed Wales to slip up against Ireland to keep their hopes of snatching the title alive and Jones suggested in the build-up to Saturday’s fixtures that Gatland’s side looked tired.

Speaking after becoming the first coach to win the Grand Slam three times, Gatland told the BBC: “It was a fantastic performance and we didn’t look too tired, did we?

“I’m proud of the players. It’s not about me, it’s about those players. We spoke beforehand about the players playing for themselves, their families, the fans and Wales as a whole and being able to create a bit of history. You can never take that away from them now.”

Record-breaking 14 wins in a row and yet another Grand Slam for Warren Gatland in his final #GuinnessSixNations match #legendary pic.twitter.com/4LWRoTJy6D

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 16, 2019

Having swept aside all comers in the Six Nations, Wales will likely be considered among the favourites to win the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Captain Alun Wyn Jones said they had “put a target on our back” with Grand Slam glory and Gatland believes they are capable of overcoming any opponent.

“We’d been trying to slip under the radar. We know on our day that we’re capable of beating good teams, so I think we’ll have a break now and start preparing for the World Cup,” said Gatland.

“These boys train exceptionally hard, will run through a brick wall for you. They’re a really tight group and really close to each other.

“If we go there with a bit of luck and don’t pick up too many injuries we’ve got a good chance of beating anybody.”

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