Wales dominated territory and possession in their opening World Cup clash in Wellington but were denied a famous victory over the Springboks when replacement Francois Hougaard crossed for a late try.
After the game a disappointed Gatland said his side would bounce back and learn from the defeat
“I’m very proud of the effort the lads put in, but we didn’t win the game” he said.
“We did everything to win the game but its about taking your opportunities and we didn’t do that.
“We put ourselves in the position to win the game but in the end we weren’t quite good enough.
“We didn’t start well and held off them in those first couple of minutes. But after that we dominated territory and possession and played some great rugby.
“The players will be devastated but had our chances.
“But we got a bonus point out of it and we will take a massive amount from it and that’s what competing at the highest level is all about.
“We have been knocking on the door for a while and if we get over that hurdle it will be good for us for the rest of the tournament.”
