YOU get the feeling something special could be about to hit Wales if not next month then within the next year.

New coach Warren Gatland is clearly not a man to be messed with, he's going to be a strict disciplinarian and he's got a pretty good idea of what he wants from Wales and where he intends taking them.

He's only been here a matter of weeks either side of a visit back home to New Zealand to spend Christmas and the new year with his family, but he's getting exactly what he wants pretty quickly and he's not afraid of making more than a few waves.

He's got the management team he wants, at least to start with and the big coup, as he put it, was to get the equally tough Shaun Edwards as defence coach. It may be on a part-time basis, but better that than none at all he reasons.

On top of that he's managed to get Martyn Williams to do a U-turn and reconsider his retirement decision when the vastly experienced flanker had retired from international rugby and said he wouldn't change his mind. So on two counts at least his powers of persuasion are pretty effective.

On top of that he's gone for his own man as captain, he's ditched the previous incumbents and come up with Ryan Jones having been impressed by the big No 8's leadership of the Ospreys, by his stature and the fact he will be pretty much a regular in the side.

And he's shown he's quite prepared to build for the future now by including two youngsters in the squad in Cardiff Blues pair Jamie Roberts and Tom James at 21 and 20, respectively, two big young guys, athletes both and he's going to start on them now with the 2011 World Cup in mind.

And he left us in no doubt if Dwayne Peel or anyone else decides to play in France he'll just find someone else rather than select them when he has asked they remain in Wales.

He's kept the squad to a manageable 28 because he wants a tight unit who will work really hard without any extras, players who he knows won't play a part in the Six Nations unless injuries strike.

As an opening statement by a new man at the helm yesterday, it was pretty impressive. Exciting times could lie ahead.