Gatland relishes his 'get out of jail' card

Wales coach Warren Gatland admitted his side got out of jail in their last-gasp 23-21 Six Nations opener win over Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.

Gatland, though, said that he had experienced enough times where sides of his had lost in the dying minutes to relish this win against a side he previously coached and who they had beaten in last year's World Cup quarter-final.

This time round Leigh Halfpenny's last minute penalty handed them victory.

"Yeah you could say we were lucky, but we've been unlucky in the past losing games in the last few minutes," said the 48-year-old New Zealander.

"I think when we get things right we'll be a terrific team.

"But in this match the players showed great character but there was a lack of discipline and we got out of jail.

"It will give us some momentum for next week's home match against Scotland."

Gatland said that he could not fault referee Wayne Barnes for sin-binning lock Bradley Davies 15 minutes from time for a spear tackle.

Davies risks missing the Scotland game as he is expected to be cited and many felt it should have been a straight red like Welsh captain Sam Warburton got in the World Cup semi-final for a similar tackle on France wing Vincent Clerc.

"Bradley Davies was lucky not to get a red card," said Gatland.

"It certainly didn't look good on the replay. But we can fill the second row for instance with Lou Reed and there are also some players looking like they are on their way back to fitness."

Warburton, who suffered a dead leg and failed to appear for the second-half and will know by Tuesday whether he will be fit for the Scots, said both Davies's yellow card and one in the last minute accorded to Irish flanker Stephen Ferris also for a more questionable spear tackle were correct.

"At least it shows there is some consistency now," said Warburton, whose red card in the semi-final brought some criticism for referee Alain Rolland for being too harsh.

Gatland said that his side had kept their nerve even when they trailed with five minutes remaining - a lesson they had learned from the World Cup.

"We were down at half-time against Samoa at the World Cup but we ran over them in the end as we were patient," he said.

"We told the boys at half-time in this match to run hard and stay square and they would make inroads.

"I though George North (wing) was world class in this regard."

Gatland's Irish counterpart Declan Kidney was left very downcast by the result which sees hopes of both the Grand Slam and the Triple Crown dashed at the first hurdle and with a daunting trip to France next weekend.

"It is extremely disappointing but Wales took their opportunities," he said.

"We didn't build on our lead in the second-half and when we go ahead we have to go for the jugular.

"It's the nature of the tournament that after the first round there will be three teams still in with a chance and three without one. We happen sadly to be in the latter category," added the 52-year-old, who guided the Irish to the 2009 Grand Slam.

Captain Paul O'Connell, who is skippering the side in the absence of their injured talisman Brian O'Driscoll, said Ferris's infringement could be used as the reason for their defeat.

"I don't think that you can blame Stephen for us losing the game instead of winning it," said the 32-year-old lock, who was winning his 83rd cap.

"We gave them a lot of ball early on. It was disappointing as we were in a position to win towards the end (they led 21-15 with five minutes remaining) but we didn't defend with our heads."

AFP