Warren Gatland says Wales' captain switch did not scapegoat Ryan Jones

The Wales coach, Warren Gatland, has denied making his former captain, Ryan Jones, the scapegoat for last week's failure to beat Fiji by publicly stripping the armband from the Lions back-row before all the spectators had left the Millennium Stadium. Jones had just left the post-match media conference after the draw with Fiji when Gatland announced Matthew Rees would be leading the side against New Zealand this weekend, prompting an indignant reaction from former Wales internationals and accusations that Gatland had made the move to deflect critical attention from himself. "The decision to change captains was made before the Fiji game, not afterwards," said Gatland, who has retained Jones in a team that shows 10 changes, one positional, from last week's starting XV. "I had spoken to Matthew, senior players and Ospreys [Jones's region] before last Friday. "We were impressed with the way Matthew led the side against Australia and South Africa and felt that with the competition among the loose forwards so strong that Ryan's place was not always guaranteed. He led the side well for three years, but as coaches we thought there was need for a change. It was not a knee-jerk reaction to Fiji: Ryan played well that night and he has always responded well to criticism and pressure in the past." Gatland said he would continue to be up front with his players. "I have always been honest and a straight talker," he went on. "When I was with the All Blacks as a player, you would get it between the eyes from [Alex] Grizz Wyllie (the coach) and you had to take it as a challenge. That is how you develop and improve. It has been a tough week, but the players have responded well and we intend to play positive rugby." Gatland recalled the Cardiff Blues wing Tom James from international exile nine months after the 23-year old drove away from the squad's training base in a huff after being overlooked for the teenager Tom Prydie against Italy in the Six Nations. It was James's second brush with Gatland after he had complained in a newspaper interview about a lack of opportunities on the 2008 tour to South Africa. "Tom was injured when we named the squad before the start of the autumn series but we watched him play for the Blues last week and he was sharp," said Gatland, who will be without Shane Williams for the start of the Six Nations. Gatland has named five forwards on the bench, three covering the back row, an area in which he intends to offer Richie McCaw no respite by giving himself the means to change his entire unit. "We have to concentrate for the full 80 minutes," he said. "That means playing at maximum intensity and we have given ourselves options." The New Zealand, and former Wales, coach Graham Henry had said yesterday that he wanted his team to smash Wales. "That sort of comment always galvanises you," said Gatland. "It has been a tough week in terms of criticism and we know we have to front up."