Gatland admitted he was embarrassed at times during his side’s two-Test humbling in South Africa last month, and has since blamed his players’ fitness for the disappointing tour.

Autumn internationals against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia are next on the agenda for Wales, but Gatland fears the results will not improve unless his players hit the gym.

“We need to produce 30 world-class athletes,” he told the Western Mail. “We probably have half a dozen players who need to improve physically to be able to compete with the best in the world.

“Our strength is good, but some players need to get bigger, while others need to get a bit leaner to help them be more mobile around the pitch. Those are things we’re working on physically.”