The storm is not over, but it has passed on for now at least. Warren Gatland and Wales have had no other choice than to move on from the Rob Howley’s expulsion from their World Cup camp over his suspected breach of rugby’s betting laws.
Howley’s return to Wales had left Gatland in shock but Saturday saw a different Wales head coach, who has named a strong side for their World Cup opener with Georgia here .
There is a good chance of a Welsh backlash following the week’s unsettling events, but Gatland was at pains to emphasise the importance of Howley being supported by his friends and family.
“Alun Wyn Jones made a good comment to everyone – these things happen, you lose players, and you have to move on,” said Gatland, who has coached Wales since 2008 and has had to cope with the Howley furore dominate the buildup to his last campaign in charge.
“It’s been tough, but you have to concentrate on what your role is. A number of players and staff have reached out to Rob – the biggest thing we can do is offer him as much support as we can.
“We can’t change what has happened, but it is important we do provide support. There are a lot of good people who have reached out and that is important. We can’t keep referring back. It’s done. We can’t change what has happened and we have to really focus on the next couple of days. Hopefully, things go well on Monday.”
Gatland’s confidence was obvious after announcing a side that is the country’s oldest to have played at a World Cup, with an average age of 28 years and 331 days and boasting 735 Test caps.
The man leading that experience is Alun Wyn Jones, the captain, who will win his 129th cap and move level with Gethin Jenkins as Wales’s record appearance maker. At the other end of the spectrum is the rookie 21-year-old flanker Aaron Wainwright who will win his 13th cap from the start. The loosehead prop Wyn Jones, Wales’s best scrummager, has been picked to counteract Georgia’s set-piece strength.
Gatland said: “This is my last World Cup. I am looking forward to it and there was a little bit of edge and niggle at training. That’s always a good sign. The players know the game is coming.
“We are grand-slam champions and had 14 games in a row unbeaten. That was because of the way we prepare and how tough we are mentally. We think we’re in a pretty good place. We’ve got some X-factor and some firepower to come off the bench. We know that when everything is right we can beat anyone.
“We’re a relatively small nation and have punched above our weight. We’ve worked incredibly hard to get to where we are and we need to make sure we go out and give our best at this World Cup. We want to make sure the people at home in Wales are proud of watching us perform and see we are giving our best.”
Wales are certainly hungry to thrive in adversity as they did during the Six Nations when a proposed merger between the Ospreys and Scarlets was abandoned on the eve of their game with Scotland. Gatland is rightly positive about what his team can achieve.
Jones has helped circle the wagons, stepping up with fellow senior players Jonathan Davies and Ken Owens among others. The former fly-half Stephen Jones has arrived to replace Howley in working with the backs.
“I have spoken enough about certain milestones for you to know how I feel about them, but to rub shoulders with Gethin is pretty sweet,” said Alun Wyn Jones, who turned 34 on Thursday. “The biggest thing I could do to mark the occasion is to enjoy the game and have a good win on Monday. That’s the focus.”