Neil Jenkins is determined that Wales end “god of the game” Warren Gatland’s 11-year reign in style against New Zealand on Friday.
Wales’s squad has been ravaged by injury and they have not won for 66 years against New Zealand, who are smarting from defeat against England in the World Cup semi-finals.
They go into the bronze medal match with just a five-day turnaround from their semi-final defeat to South Africa.
Former fly-half Jenkins has been part of Gatland’s coaching staff from day one and is desperate to send his boss out on a high.
Wales have won three Grand Slams under Gatland and reached the World Cup semi-finals twice.
“He’s an incredible man not just due to his rugby intelligence and knowledge, but he’s an unbelievable person,” he said.
“I’d like to think he’s left a fantastic legacy through the results and successes he’s had since 2008. There has been the development of a lot of good players.
“What he’s done for our game is immense and a thank you is not enough, as far as I’m concerned. For me, he is a god of the game.
"I’ve been very lucky to be involved with him since he started in 2008.”
Jenkins said Gatland had given Wales a belief that they could beat any team in the world.
“He’s taken the boys to new levels,” he added. “We think we can beat anyone on any given day, anywhere in the world.
"Being Welsh, that's not something that is easily achieved because we're not really like that. We tend to prefer to go under the radar a little bit and we’re a bit shy in that sense.
"He's certainly taken that out of the boys and there's a belief that no matter where you are, no matter who you're playing against, you have the ability to win."
Under Gatland, Wales have beaten every team they have faced, with one exception — the All Blacks. Changing that record would be some send-off for their boss.
