Six Nations 2023: Warren Gatland confident Wales-England will go ahead despite delaying team announcement

Wales head coach Warren Gatland says he is confident the under-threat Six Nations game against England will go ahead despite delaying naming his team on Tuesday.

Gatland's side host England in Cardiff on Saturday.

The game remains in doubt with players threatening to strike in a dispute with Welsh rugby bosses over contracts.

Gatland was hopeful the matter would be resolved on Tuesday but nothing official is expected to be announced.

This would take matters into the final deadline day the Wales players have set of Wednesday, 22 February for the issues to be resolved.

Gatland admitted a training session on Tuesday afternoon had been cancelled so players could continue negotiations.

The Wales coach said last week he was confident the game would go ahead and on Tuesday reiterated that he is hopeful the dispute between players and Welsh rugby chiefs would be resolved.

"I'm hearing positive things from both sides," said Gatland.

"Hopefully the discussions will be acceptable to both sides in terms of getting some compromise and we can get on with the game.

"There are no assurances at the moment, but I'm confident that with the discussions taking place hopefully something will get resolved today [Tuesday, 21 February].

"There have probably been half a dozen meetings over the last few days. It's like everything, you have to find some middle ground.

"Hopefully, in the discussions today there will be some, where the players are happy and the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) are also happy with some of the decisions they make as well.

"The thing is, when you are in discussions, it's not always about win-win for one side. You have to find some compromise. Hopefully, that will be the case today."

However, Gatland accepted the threat to strike is real, saying: "I think it is a genuine threat, there is no doubt about that.

"Having spoken to a few people today, I am confident that we will get some resolution."

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Explaining the decision to postpone training on Tuesday, Gatland added: "Today was supposed to be a double session, but we have kept it to just this morning so we are not training this afternoon.

"I made the decision... there has been a lot of things that have been going on outside of rugby, and that has been a part of the focus.

"Rather than train this afternoon, we did a longer session this morning, and gave players an opportunity to go and rest, and hopefully that resolution takes place.

"There has been no discussion from the players about not taking part in training. Hopefully those things get resolved and the boys turn up on Thursday raring to go for Saturday."

If no resolution is met on Tuesday, there is set to be a meeting on Wednesday between the players and the Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which runs the professional game in Wales and is made up of representatives from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and four regions - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.

The players want three issues resolved before they agree to take the field at Principality Stadium for a match worth close to £10m for Welsh rugby.

They are seeking:

• Wales Rugby Players Association (WRPA) representation at PRB meetings.

• The removal of the contentious 60-cap selection rule in Wales whereby a player plying his trade outside the country cannot be picked unless he has made at least that number of Test appearances.

• The removal of Welsh rugby bosses' demands that players accept 80% in set wages, with 20% available in bonuses.

PRB chair Malcolm Wall has said the 60-cap rule is under review and it is believed they are considering bringing down the amount to between 25 and 40 caps.

Wall stated his organisation was intent on pressing ahead with the fixed/variable contracts which mean players are only guaranteed 80% of salaries.

He also said the PRB will invite the WRPA to be represented at meetings.

Gatland insists if the matter is resolved the players will be in the right frame of mind despite all the chaos.

"I don't think there is going to be any lack of motivation for a player playing against England," he added.

"The boys have got a day off tomorrow and I'm sure if things are resolved they will come back and they will be completely focused on the game."

Gatland admitted he was unaware of the severity of the issue when he decided to return to Wales after predecessor Wayne Pivac's departure in December 2022.

"I wasn't aware of any of the issues that were taking place at all," he said.

"It was probably last week when I think it just came to a head.

"Everyone needs to take some responsibility and I think people are well aware these negotiations and discussions have been going on for too long.

"I think the players were given assurances on a number of occasions it would be sorted out, and the unfortunate situation [is] that they haven't been able to come to an agreement in terms of the PRB, union and regions, and it finally came to a head.

"We have all been asking for things to get sorted."