BOB DWYER has told new Wales coach Mike Ruddock to forget winning for now and just concentrate on getting his team into shape.

Dwyer, who was in charge of the 1991 Australia team that won the World Cup, said he was delighted Ruddock had become the national boss and reckoned he needed to get his squad onside from the start.

Ruddock will be in charge of his first Wales match on Wednesday when they take on the Barbarians, coached by Dwyer, at Ashton Gate, Bristol. Dwyer said: "I'm very pleased to see Mike in charge of Wales. I first came across him when he coached Swansea to beat the Wallabies in 1992 and also came across him when he coached Leinster.

"I hope he does really well in his job - though not against the Barbarians!

"I don't like giving advice to another coach but I know that coaches are judged by their team's performance. That should be the way early on for Mike to find out how players react under his tutelage.

"It cannot be based purely on results for an international coach. Really, Mike should get the foundations right first and then look at results."

Dwyer believes Ruddock can continue to build on Wales' World Cup exploits but does not expect miracles from the new coach on the tour of Argentina and South Africa next month.

He added: "Not many teams win a Test series in Argentina. Most teams have gone there and not won at all! "Wales came on tremendously last year at the World Cup.

"Their performances (against New Zealand and England) were some of the major inspirational performances of the World Cup in the eyes of all supporters, whether they were aligned or not aligned to the country."

Dwyer said he would love to have had Welsh legend Rob Howley in his Barbarians squad to face Wales but the fixture congestion had made that impossible.

He added: "There is an enormous respect for the Barbarians within the UK but, to be frank, there is a greater respect from outside the country.

"Overseas players regard it as a huge honour to wear the Barbarians jersey. We like to keep this tradition of the Baa-baas Spring tour but it's a little disappointing for us because there could be more British players in the squad.

"It is always awkward anyway for international players to come up against their own country.

"And, with club commitments at the end of the season, we cannot get them. Those who have moved on from their international sides, like Rob Howley, could have become available for us but Rob was involved with Wasps' commitments (Heineken Cup final and Zurich Premiership Final).

"We were very keen to get people like Neil Back and Martin Johnson but they still have club games to play as well."

But he reckons the Barbarians should still be respected in the professional era.

He added: "I think that the Barbarians epitomise the family of rugby more than anything in the game.

"Here we are, at the highest level, and people might think that camaraderie does not exist but this shows that it does.

"We are all playing the same game and we all have a massive respect for it. There is still a tremendous amount of honour and respect to play for the Barbarians and players will not let that honour be treated lightly.

"So there is a place for the Barbarians in the modern game."