Gatland gathers his 28-man RBS Six Nations Championship squad together on Monday and he is hoping the players will descend on his training camp at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel in Hensol ‘buzzing’ from two good victories in the Northern Hemisphere’s flagship domestic competition.
“Two strong performances from the Blues and the Ospreys this weekend could provide a real boost to the national squad when it meets up on Monday to begin preparations to face England in our opening Six Nations match,” said Gatland.
“The self belief the Ospreys alone will have gained from beating English table-toppers Gloucester last week in particular will stand us in good stead as we attempt to create the correct environment at national level to prepare for our visit to Twickenham.
“The Heineken Cup is the top domestic competition in Europe and is the nearest thing players can get to the intensity of international rugby at regional level.
“It’s the benchmark for every team in the Northern Hemisphere and if we can get two teams into the knock-out stages that will have an immediate positive impact on the team and the nation.
“We only have two weeks with the players before we play the World Cup finalists and, if they can turn up for training on Monday buzzing from two highly significant wins on the European stage, it will be a really positive start for us.
“Both sides have the talent and ability to win and I’ll have close eye on both matches myself, backing them all the way.”