Gatland seeks respect

13 April 2012

Warren Gatland believes Wales will have enjoyed a successful summer tour if they return home with the respect of the Springboks. The Welsh face South Africa in Bloemfontein on Saturday in the first of two Tests that matches the Grand Slam winners against the world champions.

Gatland has been careful not to make any bold predictions over what his side can achieve, but is determined to leave a lasting impression on their opponents.

"It's important to see how much progress we need to make over the next couple of years," he said. "We want to earn some respect from the South African players and public. That's very important for us.

"For me, the gauge of a successful tour will be if we've left here with some respect. We want to play well and put South Africa under a lot of pressure.

"We've done well in the Six Nations but that's just a stepping stone to us getting better as a side."

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