Wales have forgotten how to lose – Gatland revels in Six Nations comeback

Warren Gatland said Wales have “forgotten how to lose” following their stunning come-from-behind victory over France in the Six Nations.

Wales trailed 16-0 at half-time in Paris on Friday, however, the visitors rallied to produce a memorable 24-19 win in the French capital.

George North claimed a second-half double as Wales completed the comeback against Les Bleus in their Six Nations opener.

Speaking after the nation’s 10th successive victory, Wales head coach Gatland said: “France were very good in the first half. We made too many errors and tried to play too much rugby. We were much better in the second half and created some chances.

“For me, the big difference between the two teams is that we’ve become a side that has probably forgotten how to lose and can dig deep like that.

“On the other hand, they are probably a team searching for some confidence, having not had a great run in the last seven or eight matches.”

“We know that we get better the more time we have together,” Gatland continued. “To win this tournament, you need a bit of luck. We look back on our victories and know that sometimes you have the bounce of the ball.

“It’s tough in the Six Nations when you come up against one of the big teams. France in Paris is a real challenge, and if you can win the first game then you have a good chance of winning the tournament. Hopefully we can build on this and start thinking about the rest of the tournament.”

“It’s nice to get out of jail, 16-0 down and win the game, it’s pretty important.

Read the full thoughts of Warren Gatland after @WelshRugbyUnion‘s victory tonight.#GuinnessSixNations #FRAvWAL

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 1, 2019

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones added: “Had we not taken the opportunity early in the second half, we might have felt the fear. If France had got the first opportunity in the second half, we probably would have chased the game.

“Sixteen-point swings usually don’t happen, but we were able to get that snowball effect.”

Reeling from an unlikely defeat on home soil, France must turn their attention to next week’s showdown against England at Twickenham.

“We’ll try to keep the same spirit despite the disappointment, and focus on the positives,” France head coach Jacques Brunel said. “We have to improve the control we lacked in this match. But facing England will be as difficult a challenge as facing Wales, and it will also be a mental test for us.

“We were fully committed, did lots of interesting things, especially in the first half. Even if we didn’t master everything, we managed to put Wales under pressure. We know they have a formidable defence, and unfortunately we didn’t start the second half well and they did.”

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