After Sunday’s defeat to Australia, Warren Gatland looked a forlorn figure. It’s hard to look at him like that and imagine he’ll be Wales coach that much longer.
He looked like a man who has had as much as he can take. He previously did a good job for Wales, because he had players he could work with. Maybe the time has come for a different coach, as he’s perhaps not that coach who develops players. He just looks deflated.
Now, who that coach would be is anyone’s guess. Who is free in the market? And who would want to come in? If he goes and the Welsh Rugby Union pay him off, the last thing he should have – if the Union have anything about them – is an NDA. There’s been enough of them in Welsh rugby in recent years. They should listen to what he has to say about the game in Wales before he goes.
He can give his perspective on perhaps where he didn’t get help and what went wrong. Because, let’s be honest, the problems in Welsh rugby go well beyond one man. Everything, for years, has been building to this.
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Let’s start with Sunday. They had bigger and better ball carriers than us. They won the gainline and once the gaps opened up, we were poor defensively.
The tries we conceded looked so easy. We looked tired and lost our shape. You see the difference between Wales and the top sides in the world, with the speed and tempo they play at. I don’t think we can replicate that at Test level. You see the players and I feel for them. They’re unfortunately not ready for this.
People will ask if it’s Gatland or the players. But the Union knew what players were there before Gatland came back. Then it was a question of whether he was the best man to take those players forward. I’m not sure it’s the right fit.
Our players at the moment, besides one or two, maybe aren’t what they have been previously. It’s the Union’s fault on that front, as is the deal they put Gatland on with the money he’s getting.
He’s been good for Wales in the past, with the success he’s had. But having been working on Scrum V for over 20 years, we’ve been saying these things for some time. I’ve questioned continuously where the next fly-half or full-back was coming from. It’s clear there was no planning or development. I know Gatland wanted to get involved with other parts of Welsh rugby, but my understanding was that the regions weren’t keen on him getting involved. So they need to hold their hands up and take some of the blame as well.
He wanted certain players at the regions playing in certain positions. Sometimes, from what I’ve seen, some of the people in the regions feel threatened by people coming in to their environment. That’s been an ongoing thing, with some long-standing trust issues between the parties involved.
But, surely it should have been the first priority of the Union to make sure those relationships between the regions and the national side were working? Someone like David Nucifora or Rassie Erasmus, as we’ve seen in other environments in Ireland and South Africa respectively, have proven themselves capable of bringing everything together. They are people who think about the game from top to bottom. Does Welsh rugby have those figures?
Look at the community game in Wales. It’s the starting point for the next generation of talent, but who’s driving that? All you hear about is games being cancelled and kids not taking up the sport. This has not been an overnight issue. We were saying this years ago.
The amateur game needs to flourish, as does the professional game – governed separately, but working together symbiotically for a better future. However, I don’t know what the Union has done, as there’s just no transparency or accountability anywhere. All we get is review after review, but nothing seems to change. Everything is reactive, rather than proactive.
Take the academy system. The National Academy brought through so many players above the regions’ own academies, like Dan Biggar, Sam Warburton and many more from that generation. That’s long gone now. But even the current system, with the academy system controlled by the regions but with funding from the WRU dictated by hitting certain criteria, was a drawn-out process. Reaching an agreement rumbled over a year past the deadline of July 2023. That’s hardly a promising sign in terms of relationships.
When it was under the WRU’s control, that was when their success came. Have they really worked since? Ultimately, the regions don’t have enough money. And if they need money to do other things, you can bet your bottom dollar they’d take it from the academy. They’re judged on the here and now. If they don’t get results, people get sacked.
Truthfully, I just can’t see functional relationships anywhere in Welsh rugby. Some things have improved incrementally, but not massively. Relationships are key to any business. It feels like everyone is looking out for themselves. There’s been so many issues and reviews. Where’s the accountability?
Anyone with any rugby nous could see this coming. Team Wales has been papering over the cracks because we had generational talent that came through the Union’s academy and was playing at competitive regions. But then there was no money. Money was poured into the national team and everything else was pretty much neglected. Most rugby clubs in Wales are skint. There’s too many people with self-interests.
Now, with where we are, who are the rugby decision-makers on the WRU board to drag us out of this mire? I’ve heard that head-hunters offered a role on the board to one individual, unaware he was already a part of Wales’ management. It’s laughable. People are saying we’ll be in a big hole for a year or two. Honestly, we probably need to plan for the World Cup in six years. That’s how much of a hole we’re in.
Nothing has been agreed on the new strategy. They’ve had all these issues. It’s crazy. There’s nobody who will make decisions. If you go in there, you have to make change and force it. Be vocal about it. Who looks after the relationships in the Union? There’s no alignment anywhere.
A lot of people will say this is easier to say all this as a pundit. But a lot of us have offered our services. They didn’t want it, either as an advisor or mentors. People feel threatened in their positions. Once you’ve offered once, why would you offer again to work for someone you don’t have confidence in.
When you’re successful, you forget the things that made you successful. This happened in the 1970s, when Welsh coaches went all over the world and benefitted from our success. It’s happened again. We assume everyone wants to play rugby in Wales. That’s not the case. You have to be very naïve to think that. I was presenting some kit to a girls team the other week. You can see how much the youngsters love football, because of what Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey have done.
Beyond the success of Welsh football, I fear for Welsh rugby even more if more Wales games go off terrestrial next year. I know subscription channels bring more cash to the Union, but at what cost if there are less eyes? Keep in mind, sponsors will also offer less cash if there’s less eyes on the product. Can Welsh rugby really survive if it’s not readily available to see?
You build relationships on good communication. Everything has been issues, reviews and problems. There’s never been any harmony, even when Wales was going well. It’s crazy. Why isn’t that the case? Surely the main thing to get right is the relationship between the national team and the regions. No one ever seemed to be happy. There’s been a lack of investment and development, starting from the schools and community game, going all the way up.
It’s very sad. It’s honestly demoralising. Everything has been building to this. There are no quick fixes. You won’t build strong relationships overnight, just as they haven’t eroded in the blink of an eye either.
This has been at least 15 years in the making. The time has come for strong leadership to make changes to improve the game in Wales, from top to bottom. It’s the only way. Everybody in rugby – both here and in other nations – wants a strong Wales for years to come.
Every Wales game this autumn is available to watch live on S4C, as well as on S4C and BBC iPlayer. Jonathan Davies hosts Jonathan, alongside Sarra Elgan and Nigel Owens. The show airs on S4C at 9pm, Thursday.
