Wales have not overcome the All Blacks since 1953 and go into the clash on the back of five straight defeats – including autumn losses to
“We’ve chatted about the disappointments and getting things back on track this week,” said Gatland.
“It is not a physical issue, it’s just getting the head right.
“Yes, we’ve had a couple of disappointing weeks, but I think the benefit of that will be shown in the next couple of years in terms of what the players have experienced and coaches have experienced.
“Long-term, it will be good for the development of Welsh rugby. It will make people stronger and better going forward.
“We’ve set pretty high standards in the last 12 months, and I suppose that comes back to the expectation from everyone that we’ve performed to a certain level.
“We know we haven’t done that in the last couple of weeks, so it is important we get that right for the next couple.”
Wales have received their fair share of criticism following the recent form. For some of the younger members of the squad it is the first time they have experienced a dip in their Wales fortunes.
Gatland insists his rising stars must learn to cope with the pressure and reckons the experience will be beneficial in the long term.
“The players are well aware that some of their form has not been as strong as it possibly could be,” added Gatland.
“There is a little bit of a confidence issue with one or two.
“Some of them are dealing for the first time with some criticism that has come from the outside. It has been quite personal for some of them, but they’ve got to learn to cope with that.
“They’ve had criticism within the media and some players have had a bit of abuse on Twitter. It’s how you handle it and move forward. All of us will be stronger for the experiences of the last two weeks.”
