Gatland has plumped for youngster Leigh Halfpenny ahead of Mark Jones on the wing while the halfbacks also posed a few problems as did the form of captain Ryan Jones.
“All the places were up for selection. There were some positions we debated heavily – wing, nines and 10s, the make-up of the bench and the loose forwards,” explained Gatland.
“I’ve spoken to Ryan. In terms of the Canada game last week, we talked about two or three high balls and just a little bit more accuracy. There was no question about his work-rate against South Africa. We were pleased with what he did.
“The message we are sending out is it doesn’t matter who you are, you’ve got to perform. There is no guaranteed selection week in, week out. It’s how people respond, isn’t it? You want them to respond with a performance, by doing their talking on the field.”
Halfpenny has taken his chance at the highest level with aplomb. Still only 19 years of age, the Blues rookie’s form against South Africa and Canada ensured a third start for Wales.
“Given the performances in the first two games, he was the pick of the three wings (Mark Jones and Shane Williams being the others).
“He deserved to be selected for this game. He scored a couple of great tries against Canada, particularly his first one. He can also kick goals as well, if we need it.
“He is bringing that youthfulness. He hasn’t read too many newspapers or been affected by too much negativity – he hasn’t got that fear factor. I watched Leigh at Under-20 level 12 months ago, and to be honest, I thought he’d never play international rugby because physically I didn’t think he was big enough.
“It’s great to see what can happen in 12 months in terms of him applying himself and doing the work, and it’s great he has had a chance with the Blues. Players in Wales need to see that if they apply themselves and do the work, they can be given a chance to play international rugby.
“Leigh has been scoring tries – that’s what he gets paid to do. It would be pretty unfair to drop him on those two performances. For the likes of Leigh and (No8) Andy Powell, who both had impressive debuts against South Africa, our message is the same – both players need to simply enjoy the experience and have nothing to fear.
“For some of the more senior heads in the side, we know we are looking for stand-out performances from each and every one of them if we are to be able to match the opposition.”
