Wales v South Africa - 23/11/2024 (17.40)

[Geordie]

And that's the most important! They'll have better games and better years in the future, just should learn from every hard situation and defeat

Yeah trust the lads. Give them time. One or two others might come through aswell...

 

[Saintjay]

During Gatland's first era, there were plenty of highly experienced Welsh sides that still lost or only narrowly beat other less experienced sides (including South Africa, such as in the 2018 and 2022 Summer victories). So that is a half-excuse at most. In fact, one problem has been not enough new players being slowly brought into the senior side for several years, so with all these retirements Wales have not really properly prepared.

I think Gatland must take some blame for that. He shafted Pivac with a squad that had a few years left on the clock and that is it.

It's very similar to what Fergie did with Man United.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Just look at where the Boks were in 2016/2017. Shows it can be done.

Hmmm. Population and general appetite for rugby wouod make me doubt that. Long road for Wales.

 

[Geordie]

I get the sentiment and I don't want to kick Wales when they're down but it's going to take a lot longer than a year to get back to he standard of past Welsh teams, if they can even manage that.

They have some promising players but often they come in the same positions - for example, Morse looks great but are you going to drop Wainwright (often Wales best player and missed today) to give him game time?

Wales' age grade sides and the domestic game definition don't point to a bright future any time soon.

Of course it is but when you have a side with hardly any caps it's simply about building experience.

Wales rely on a side with lots of caps and experience...players who perform poorly wont be dropped and are allowed to rectify the problems and become better....one of the weird positives from a small player pool

 

[BPM]

I'm sceptical. I'm not a fan of Gatland, but I do get the logic of what he has been attempting to do. Whoever is coach is going to face the same limitations with the player pool and poor standard of the Welsh regions.

 

[AlRums]

No chance can we compete with Italy!

Not after the Italian display against NZ.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I'm sceptical. I'm not a fan of Gatland, but I do get the logic of what he has been attempting to do. Whoever is coach is going to face the same limitations with the player pool and poor standard of the Welsh regions.

There's bad and then there's, well, us. The thing is, yeah, the regions have been **** and everything but looking at last year and this season its not like we're a million miles off the Scottish or Italian sides (I know Glasgow won last year obviously) Ospreys finished 8th (4 points behind Benneton) and above Edinburgh and this season, albeit early days obviously, scarlets and Cardiff not doing too bad

At the moment, internationally, it's not really marrying up, as average as the regions are at test level we look third tier. Italy look a level above us you wouldn't back us to beat Georgia either (naturally seeing as they beat us last time we played)

While Gatland isn't the main problem and no doubt any new coach faces the same challenges but I think it's undeniable he's not getting the most out of what he has available to him. Unfortunately we can't burn the WRU down but we can fix the coaching problem and sack Gatland and have a fresh slate going into the 6N.