Gatland looks ahead in confidence to Rugby World Cup

Coach Warren Gatland said he regrets slip-ups on the way to a third place finish in the Six Nations but insists Wales will look ahead with confidence to this autumn's World Cup.
Wales overcame a shaky first-half display against Italy by running in seven second-half tries in Rome to totally overwhelm the inefficient Azzurri 61-20.
Wing George North notably scored a hat-trick as Wales surpassed the 39-point winning margin they had twice inflicted on Italy, in 1999 (60-21) and 2008 (47-8).
The win took Wales briefly top of the table, but in the end their heroic efforts at the Stadio Olimpico would prove futile.
Ireland went top thanks to their superior points difference after pummelling the Scots 40-10 in Edinburgh, and held on to their crown after England failed to beat France with the 26-point margin they had been set, despite a gripping 55-35 success.
Gatland, who has led Wales to three Six Nations titles including two Grand Slams and two Triple Crowns since 2008, admitted Wales' campaign could have finished differently.
He notably pointed the finger at a second-half capitulation on their way to a 21-16 defeat by England at the Millennium Stadium in their opening match.
"I look back at that game and in the second half we got dragged into a game that didn't suit us," said Gatland.
"It was a good learning experience... we adapted well after that and played well for the rest of the tournament."
Speaking before the Ireland and England games had finished, Gatland admitted Wales' massive win in the Italian capital would probably not be sufficient to snatch the title.
"We thought beforehand if we won by 40 points we would give ourselves a chance and 50 we might have put real pressure on the other two teams, so we had to wait and see," he added.
- No fear -
But it did not stop him lavishing praise on a side he believes will qualify from a World Cup group featuring hosts England and Australia.
"We won't be going into the World Cup with any fears of not qualifying from our group," said Gatland.
"There is no fear about playing England at Twickenham or Australia as well because we know we will be in good shape as long as everyone stays fit and clear of injuries.
"We can go there with some real confidence and belief that we can get out of our group. You have sides ranked fourth, fifth and sixth in the world, so that shows how tough it is to get out of that group, while Fiji with preparation will be tough as well.
"It is unfortunate that you are going to have one of the big teams not making the quarter-finals. That's what has happened to us and we are confident we can get out of that group and progress to the quarter-finals."
While Wales look ahead with relish, Italy have been left with more questions than answers after finishing second-from-bottom and with the lowest points scored (61) and the most conceded (182).
The 47 points shipped in a remarkably poor second half against Wales were partly to blame.
Leonardo Ghiraldini, the stand-in captain in the absence of injured No.8 Sergio Parisse (ankle), said: "More than anything the players need to really change their mental approach to games.
"In our past two games the heads have gone down and we've lost focus whenever we've suffered a setback. In mental terms, we have a lot of progress to make."
Italy coach Jacques Brunel deftly sidestepped questions about a possible resignation months before the World Cup.
His immediate concern is trying to unravel the puzzle of how Italy, fourth place finishers in 2013 after wins against Ireland and France, have since failed to progress.
"Our ambition was to perform well in the championship and challenge all the other teams. We did that partly against Scotland, but we haven't been able to build on that," said the Frenchman.
"The last two weeks has been a real disappointment ... I can't explain how the team capitulated so dramatically."
Source: AFP