Warren Gatland aims to slip under World Cup radar
- Published
Six Nations 2019: Wales beat Ireland to complete Six Nations Grand Slam
Coach Warren Gatland says Wales are trying to stay under the Word Cup radar despite winning the Grand Slam.
Gatland won a third Six Nations clean sweep in his final tournament in charge of Wales and he will finish his 12-year reign after the World Cup in Japan.
The 25-7 success over Ireland was a 14th successive win for Wales who are now second in the world rankings behind New Zealand.
"We are still trying to slip under the radar," said Gatland.
"We know on our day we can beat good teams.
"These boys train exceptionally hard and they will run through a brick wall for you.
"It is the same for the coaching team. We are very close knit. Hopefully with a bit of luck and no injuries we can head to Japan in good spirits."
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Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones admitted after the game his side would now have a target on their backs but Gatland believes his side can cope with that pressure.
"I don't think it makes any difference to us," said Gatland.
"We've just kept our heads down, we'll work hard. The younger players have come through with no fear and shown real character."
Wales' preparations for the World Cup in Japan will include training camps in Switzerland and Turkey.
The squad will return for two weeks to the Swiss Alps in July to the training base of Fiesch, the same venue they used before the 2015 World Cup.
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Following two warm-up training matches against England in August, Gatland will take his side to Turkey for warm weather training.
Wales then return to face Ireland twice before travelling to Japan where they will face Australia, Fiji, Uruguay and Georgia in their group.
"In our pool, if you win, you potentially don't face the southern hemisphere sides on the way through," said Gatland.
"With a bit of luck, hopefully we don't pick up too many injuries. I'm excited for the World Cup because you get two or three months together and you can prepare like a club side.
"You can go into a lot of skill development and really fine tune your game. From that point of view, we'll be in great shape.
"In our previous two World Cups, we were one of the fittest teams in the World Cup. We'll be in good shape for this as well."