I'm not too sure Wales' performances should be simply put down to a Lions hangover. There may be a little truth in it, with the likes of Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun-Wyn Jones etc. below their best, with it being most obvious against Ireland, but I think there's more to it. Today, the tactics were simply shocking. How is giving the most dangerous back-three in this years tournament uncontested ball a tactic? Why kick the ball straight to England's most potent ball carrier, again with no pressure applied, from the kick-off a tactic? This killed us in the first half, handing possession and territory to England on a silver platter. We weren't good enough, and England too organised to change the course of the game in the second half.
I also think that teams now fully understand how to stop Wales playing. The SH teams have been able to do so all along, but it's taken the NH sides a few years. I don't know a single Welsh rugby fan who hasn't been calling out for years for the tactics to be modified. It has brought us success, but a team must evolve if it wants to continue succeeding, and Gatland hasn't changed anything about his game plan. There is always a place for direct running and physicality, but there needs to be some subtlety there as well, and at the moment we have no subtlety at all. We hope that Roberts or North can break a tackle in midfield, but today they were running into the likes of Lawes and getting nowhere. There's also zero evidence of a back-three that actually works together to counter attack. You'd think that those three could drop back and cause havoc on the counter attack, but all we get is an up and under from Halfpenny.
For years Gatland has churned out the same line, that Wales keep the ball on the park because they have superior fitness. That simply isn't the case any longer, England and Ireland are easily as fit, in fact they are fitter this season!
If Gatland is willing to change his tactics, then there's no reason to panic. We've still got a hugely talented squad of players that are capable of playing a different game plan. I actually think a lot of them would suit a different game plan, as evidenced with last years performance against England, where I thought Wales employed a much more subtle game plan.
So the ball's in Gatland's court. The problem is, he's been totally unwilling to change anything in the past, despite similar (or worse) runs of form/results. This should act as an eye opener, that he has a year to tinker with the tactics and the team, so we can emerge a better side come RWC time. A good start would be to drop Rhys Priestland, who's had far, far to many chances now.
