Why Warren Gatland thinks Wales can win the Rugby World Cup

Welsh coach Warren Gatland believes he has the right players and planning to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The World Cup schedule was announced in Tokyo last night with Wales opening their tournament against Georgia in Aichi on September 23. Gatland's side then have a six-day turnaround for a crucial pool D match against the Wallabies on September 29 in Tokyo.

Wales made the World Cup semifinals just twice in the eight World Cups however Gatland told the Mike Hosking Breakfast that they could win the event in two years' time.

"I honestly believe. The age profile is really good. When you look back, and New Zealand is the anomaly, most World Cups have been won by teams who've had an age profile of late 20s, early 30s. A lot of experience, a lot of caps. We will have that profile in 2019 with some good youngsters coming through," he told Mike Hosking.

"Our challenge is not picking up too many injuries. If we pick up too many injuries it will really begin to count against us.

Wales will have a chance to test themselves against the 2015 World Cup finalists with tests against Australia and the All Blacks later this month. Gatland said he is confident Wales have got their planning right for the next World Cup.

"My involvement in the last two World Cups is we haven't had time together in that preparation. We felt we've done really well with this one for 2019 and preparing well enough. You always need a little luck. We feel we can go to Japan and do well and win a World Cup. You've got to have that confidence and believe that you can do that."

"We've got a pretty detailed plan at the moment in the next couple of years building up to Japan."