Well what can you say
as a Welsh rugby fan? Eleven losses in a row speaks for itself and would try
the patience of Job. The worst thing about it is the latest two losses to Fiji
and Australia come as no great surprise with Wales plummeting down the world
rankings like a lead balloon. At the heart of the two defeats was that we were
outplayed and even the most one-eyed Welsh fan cannot say we were unlucky or
blame the referee. Quite simply Wales are not good enough and a pale shadow of
the team that performed well at the Rugby World Cup only just over a year ago.
There are many reasons
by the catastrophic collapse. The mass retirements of our tried and tested core
players has left a squad bereft of the battle-hardened warriors that are essential
in today’s test rugby arena. The lack of truly competitive home-based professional
rugby teams means the step up from regional to test rugby is too great for the
most promising players. We are left with a team that is inexperienced and underpowered
when trying to take on the behemoths that are to be found in virtually the
opposition squads. Yes, Wales continue to show willingness and bravery but in
the end the odds are stacked against them.
You can of course
look at the management and coaching staff and wonder whether Gatland has been
in the job too long. His record shows that he is a good coach but perhaps a new
broom could make a difference. Whoever that may be would still be left with a small
pool of players that is lacking in experience. Can these players step up to
fill the boots of their illustrious predecessors? That remains to be seen. We
do not help the Wales team’s cause by imposing the twenty five cap rule which
prevents talented players who ply their trade in England and beyond from being
selected.
You can blame the
Welsh Rugby Union that seems to be making a hash of running Welsh rugby.
Scandals and indecision abound around every turn with the only response seemingly
to bring in more consultants who never seem to say anything new. As for so many
professional sports, everything comes down to money in the end and Wales are
short of it. Being on such a bad losing run means difficulty in filling the Principality
Stadium for international matches and devalues the product that can be offered
to TV etc. This creates a death spiral if we are not careful.
There are many
people who would say this has been coming for years and that the signs were
there for all to see. The community game has suffered with clubs going under
and with too many matches postponed for lack of players. The professional game
is not competitive with little to show with progression in the European
competitions that are the benchmark. Little wonder then that in the end the
performances in the test arena drop off. Is the country falling out of love
with rugby?
On a personal
basis, I still love watching Pontypool home and away and the Pooler Army is
still supporting them in numbers. I have done this through thick and thin and
will continue to do it. I watch players of no little talent giving their all
for the jersey in competitive matches and that’s what makes the game so enjoyable.
I have watched Wales home and away for fifty plus years but have to confess
that the attraction is beginning to wane. High ticket prices, badly behaved fans
and too much hassle with travelling combined with too many matches lost are making
the product far less compelling. There is no sofa to hide behind when things
start getting ugly on the pitch.
Welsh rugby has
been in a trough before and has clambered out of it with the help of a good
coach and talented players. This time we seem to be busy digging the trough
deeper and deeper as we wait for what seems to be divine intervention. I fear
it won’t come from consultants.
I wish I had a
magic wand but I don’t but something needs to be done and quickly. A Hollywood
star or two did it for Wrexham.
Meanwhile next week Wales face South Africa the world champions with an even more powerful set of players. Good luck boys!