Him and Eddie Jones peaked with the 2019 RWC, the game has changed massively since then and they've both stuck to what they believe instead of adapting
@@Bacon56ful I think you mean ‘He, and Eddie Jones…’ And. who on earth inflicted on us, a scruff-bag like Eddie Jones? The man barely speaks English, for God’s sake!
Irish fan , I thought the ref got a lot wrong especially a high tackle against a welsh player, France definitely deserved their big win they are superb, & so young, but I really hope wales comeback the world of rugby need this great little country who have given us some of the best rugby matches in the past , but if I were France I wouldn’t be strutting my stuff just yet
You know if there is a country that does not "crowd" it is France, in terms of bad times we know it lasted 10 years and during these 10 years we had to work, rebuild the clubs, the rugby schools, the training methods and everything else. So yes the Welsh took a big beating but when you are at your lowest you can only go up.
The French aren’t strutting their stuff, they knew that this Welsh team is thé worst in the 6 nations . They simply did what they had to do , and by the 50th minute rested a third of the team. England at Twikenham is when the tournament starts . The only problem is, as Tim mentioned, injuries (Flamant and Penaud) and at 10 - do you go to Ramos or chose Jalibert ? Will they win it all ? Maybe … but after the 2 matches played Saturday none of the next 4 are pushovers. And as Going to Twicks isn’t easy , nor is it for Ireland going to Murrayfield (from a French fan)
It's too early, it's as simply as that. Some players need a lot more experience and some replaced by new talents when they come along. Until then it's Wales getting the Wooden Spoon, or perhaps fluking a win over Italy or England on a bad day.
It is easy to pick the faults, but finding the answers is ultimately harder, not sure anyone knows the answers, let alone the authority to put it right
One point I would slightly disagree with, I don’t think Gatland’s tactics are outdated per se, it’s just he doesn’t now have the players to make it work. For example the few times Jac Morgan carried with the ball yesterday he actually looked capable of breaking the gain line as he is one of the only players in that squad that has the size and athleticism to compete at that level. If Gatland still had backs with the size and speed of a Roberts, a Davies, a North, then I think it could still be effective (at least to a certain degree). The problem is, he doesn’t, and so needs to adapt to what he has got to work with, which unfortunately he doesn’t look capable of doing. Some very tough years ahead I fear!
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. As a Welsh supporter, I just think the WRU are stuck in 2012 and hope to return to how things were. Playing 'hard' and giving effort is the bare minimum standard, losing by 30+ points every game is not something a 2nd tier nation would accept, we shouldn't either.
Harmless - yes, that bites very deeply - and the pundits were spot on - Wales can't magically get out of this mess - their players have to go through the process of improvement which is going to take a couple of seasons still and they are still going to lose matches badly - no other option - they will have to double their fitness regimes - each player personally - they are going to have to double their tackle rate in matches - they will have to empty the tank up to 50 minutes and then bomb squad like SA and bring on their best players for the last 30 or so minutes to lessen the potential wipe out in the later stages of a match - tough times - would Rassie even be able to change their fortunes?
Tu sais que les majuscules ca fait mal aux yeux! Ton message est positif mais tu est est sur une video Anglaise sois subtile, fais pas passer les Francais pour des bourrins.
@EggchasersRugby definitely. Lake is the one player from the current era that us South Africans respect in terms of physicality and attitude. Lake has had some good tussles with Marx
What a player, incredibly disciplined, ferocious in attack, and lead by example for his team. Would love to see a huge Wales turnaround in the next two years, otherwise talent like Morgan is wasted
I think Gatland was made look good by Shaun Edwards and his departure signalled the end of Wales successes. Major mistake letting him go to France, France have improved since Edwards arrived and turned them into a great defensive team to complete their attacking creativity.
They also had Sean Edwards when they had the success. He undoubtedly made a difference. The Bayonne Express might do a job but the players don’t seem to be able to cut it currently
I disagree that Wales don’t have the talent or size available. Carre, Grady, Llewellyn, James, Lake, Faletau, Beard, Fender, Anscombe, Griffin (edit) and Morse are all examples of players with either elite talent or size that either aren’t being selected or are unavailable. The coaching, tactics and selection is what’s letting Wales down. Gatland is and always will be one of the greatest coaches of our game, but it is sad to say that his time is up. Another point is that Wales seem to always have terrible “luck” with injuries. This has been going on for so long now that it is not luck or coincidence, there is clearly a huge issue with the conditioning of the players which all leads back to underfunding and lack of top tier infrastructure. Would be interested to hear other people’s takes.
Gatland not picking those players you have mentioned, and a whole load of others, is unforgivable. The guy is too arrogant to admit he's wrong. Thomas at ten, I mean, come on ffs. Centre's hopeless, Liam past his best, Adam's not really fit, and don't get me started on assiratti
@@TP1988 ordinarily I would agree with you but what 🏴 are going through atm is anything but ordinary- and by the time 🏴 play 🏴 , they could be zero wins from 4 and possibly yet to earn a point , so confidence could be on the floor if it’s not already
@@TP1988it’s a possibility but unlikely. They face Italy who they’ve never lost. Wales, sadly,and this applies to all sports are in a wilderness of lack of real talent. Their clubs are floundering and there is no actual elite talent coming through . Italy invested heavily in their youth teams and now are reaping the rewards but that took 5-10 years. Luckily, for Wales, they can’t get relegated because they wouldn’t come back for aeons.
Agree with everything Tim! It is worth noting today, Galthié was invited in FranceTV before Ireland-England and said the defense needed was the point that needed most improvment, and the team is genreally at its peak for the third game. He was aslo curious to see what Smith as a fly half vs Ford would mean for te kicking game of England. Also, unrelated, he had on of his poetic sentences about the future of the game : "With the new laws, sky is now a new space of conquest, this is _maginfique_ for rugby!", and I feel the following game was a perfect illustration of it =)
Thank God! I’m tired of people making excuses. Everything people say about the wru, lack of player quality, finances, regions - fine. But we should be doing better with what we have. If we were putting our best foot forward, fine, but we’re not.
A good coach would look at the best players available to them and make a game plan that works for those players. Gatland only has one game plan but doesn't have the players to fulfill that plan. It is very frustrating as a Welsh supporter watching much better players playing for regions but not getting a look in at international level.
@@SMacCuUladh Absolutely. I can't imagine any half decent coach being willing to take on the Welsh job and Easterby, despite his Welsh connections, will stay with Ireland.
Let me address a particular beef. Again, today, people were talking about Huw Jones and the magic word ‘hat-trick.’ A hat-trick is not just three tries (or three goals in the other game). A hat-trick is three scores which are consecutive, not interrupted by a score by another person.
Great analysis….spot on with France’s scrum….i was anticipating us getting mullered there but it didn’t happen. I really feel for the boys in red..tough times ahead.
Love the channel blaa, blaa, blaa. 2 things. Firstly, talking about Wales’ toothless attack, Alex King left his role as attack coach a couple of weeks ago with Rob Howley taking over. I think that was some red meat thrown to the press and the fans to try and take the heat off Gatland. Tactically, it’s clearly not been a great idea! Secondly, when has Gatland been his most successful? Domestic and European championships with Wasps. Grand Slams with Wales. What’s changed? What’s different? What’s missing? SHAUN EDWARDS!!! At his side at every win was Shaun so maybe, just maybe, Gatland has never been the answer.
Gatland had some good race horses under him during the glory years for Wales. AWJ, Biggar, Warburton, Gethin, Faletau etc... He also had Shaun Edwards who is a great defense coach and helped Wales play a sort of anti-rugby, similar to the boks. Very effective if you are well conditioned and committed. But you need the right horses for that and a SE type guy to run it. Not sure the current crop and coaches can replicate that and there seems to be a bit of an identity crisis.....stuck between the past and the future.
Very fair and insightful comments, Tim. I hope Wales either win against Italy or get an absolute beatdown to move Gats on. A narrow defeat would be the worst of all worlds
🎯 Also a Gats fan, also don't like running down him nor the players. Thought they played their guts out. Would like to see those same players with fresh ideas. Glad ppl seeing more of attisogbe. Performing for Pau for a couple of seasons now
Hey there! Long-time viewer of the channel, love the content! But I think Gatland is getting a pretty rough deal here. Let’s put aside his historic achievements for a moment because he’s been an incredible coach in the past. Also, just to clarify, I'm an Ireland fan, so I don't have a huge stake in the Wales situation, but I think we need to consider the bigger picture. In rugby today, everyone's comparing teams to others, but Wales is one of those nations that's had their entire system gutted. Their provincial approach to rugby, where everything came from the ground up, is almost nonexistent now. The coaching pipeline seems to have dried up, and there doesn’t seem to be any emerging talent that can add that “X-factor” into the team. Realistically, I think Wales needs a solid 10 years of rebuilding to get back to a competitive level. If they followed the approaches of other countries, like Ireland's grassroots strategy, it would take that long to restore what they once had. That's how far behind they are. That said, let’s talk about what happened last night. For the first 20 minutes, Wales had incredible possession and were dogged in the rucks, making tackles and scrambling. But let’s be real - when you’re up against a team like France, who are dynamic and can break through defenses with ease, do you really want to be kicking the ball to them? France is one of the best attacking teams in the world right now. If Wales gave them the ball, they were practically guaranteeing another try. So, in that context, Wales’ strategy of holding onto possession and charging through the line makes sense. Sure, they were struggling in the second half, but what else could they do? France was in full control when they had the ball, and Wales managed to stop at least two tries on the line. Their scrum wasn’t terrible, and the Welsh defense wasn’t bad overall. The issue is they don’t have the big players to match up physically, and they didn’t seem to challenge in the lineouts. Their kicks up the field, and out wide, also seemed unlucky at times or hesitant plays. Like that terrible grubber kick in the first 15 into French hands. Its a fair point to say that there was more then a couple of mistakes tho, - The few bad knock-ons and unfortunate breaks - kept them from potentially getting two scores in the first half. Honestly, I think the game could have ended 10-43 if things had gone slightly differently. And for Wales to go to France, with the way the French team is played, and compete like they did? That’s no easy task. I wouldn’t want to send Ireland out against that French team. I think the best course of action now is to hold off on making any judgments on Gatland until after the Italy and Scotland games. If they get hammered by Italy, that’s probably it. But if they put up a good fight against Scotland, then it’s time to have that discussion about whether Gatland is still the right person for the job.
Il faut tempérer nos commentateurs, c'est une erreur de dire "harmless", une équipe est toujours "harmless" jusqu'a ce qu'elle réalise un essai.....cette fois ci les gallois n'ont pas eu cette chance, mais je trouve "harmless" exagéré, c'est le commentaire d'un journaliste sportif tranquillement installé sur une chaise avec un Cognac dans la main, ce n'est pas celui des joueurs! ....je suis d'accord avec toi, bon commentaire!
I don’t believe Wales’ players are that different to ours. I mean, they perform well in the prem. I watch Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams, Anscombe, Freddie Thomas, Llewellyn, Jenkins, Refell, Carré, Hathaway, Tshiunza, Hawkins, Cracknell and more, every week in the prem. They look very good to me. I’m not saying they’d make the England team, but I think some would at least. Then add the Welsh based players and they should be able to make a good team. (Just after I wrote this Habana’s Sage advert popped up in the middle of your video 😂).
This is over the top. The 12-3 penalty account was massively unfair to Wales. They were a match for France for 20 minutes and a few errors brought France into the scoring zone. I saw Wales stand up and fight for the entire match. Gatland is here for the 6N. Because Wales fought and concentrated to the end, they will learn and develop. I think they are well in with a chance to beat Italy. If they do they can have a cut at the other teams including having a cut against Ireland in Cardiff and England.
A match for 20 minutes but went in 28-0 at half time. Then France swapped out a third of the team including Dupont at 50th , still added 15 points and weren’t even threatened when at 14. And I love Welsh rugby history but the decline of talent has been constant for 4 or 5 years and is shown in the URC too. This team will,based on the performances over the weekend will be beaten handily by an Italian team with flair, talent and youth .
It was gutsy from Wales, but after the opening passages they genuinely never looked like scoring. However well you defend, you’re in trouble if you can’t score more than zero.
From what i read in rugby news, at half time management gave the French team a new goal: not let one point go the Welsh team. So that permanent hard defense line makes sense (especially with Baille trying to go for a jackal at one point and then clearly saying sorry to his team mates afterwards).
Fantastic video mate. I thought 'having a script is so important because it allows you to go off-script' was brilliant. Eggchasers and squidge crossover anyone?
Impossible to imagine that a Tier 1 coach can have 13 losses on the trot and still have a job. Is there no one else in Wales that can take over? If that is the case, then it is a serious enditement of the planning within Wales rugby. Their only hope to break the streak is the fact they are playing Italy next week. Wales outside the top 10 in World rankings is difficult to digest.
Welsh rugby has been destroyed by the Welsh Rugby Union's long-term mismanagement of games in the country. It will take a long time to climb out of this hole. It took France a decade or more.
Look it. You could see in the first Netflix series. Gatland was out walking with his wife. I think they were talking about the decision to come back. Reading his face you got the feeling that it didn’t seem quite right.
I will stand by the fact we have a decent group of tier 1 quality players available but Gatland either refuses to pick them or plays them out of position. And in my opinion, Gatland's greatest crime is that for all his talk of developing young players, he has done everything in his power to hurt their chances. He plays them out of position i.e Ben Thomas or doesn't surround them with anyone to learn off. Dan Edwards could learn loads of Gareth Anscomb but didn't pick him because he's to old apparently. And tatically it's pretty apparent, as you mentioned, that he is pretty clueless about how the modern game is meant to be played.
He was a superb coach. He's now a has been like Eddie Jones-and why the WRU brought him back on a watertight contract on the back of a his defeats in charge on the chiefs (zero wins) and a Lions loss will always be beyond me.
The only thing I'd call you up on is just how relevant the low French penalty count last night is when moving forward in the tournament. I don't think you can guarantee that when France play away against better teams. When you are at rock bottom in sport there is a tendency for officials to have a very premeditated attitude towards the weaker team. There was a lot of inconsistency last night, particularly with how the two teams were refereed at the breakdown. And don't forget, even now, French players have a propensity for major acts of indiscipline with Ntamark last night a case in point.
Gatland isn’t solely to blame but at this point feels like the whole set up could do with a fresh face with new ideas. Gatlands made some bizarre decisions such as trying to make Ben Thomas a 10 and mason grady a centre. Calling up Cory hill then making him captain? No real consistency in squad selections, telling anscombe he’s basically to old then bringing back 33 year old Liam Williams. Problems in welsh rugby run far deeper than gatland but their is also a feeling that he’s “ yesterdays man”
You can't question his loyalty, but the WRU should have taken matters out of his hands after last year's 6 Nations. The way the game is coached and played has moved on since 2019.
Nothing to do with loyalty the mans one of the highest paid coaches in international rugby. For such a high salary and little expectation I wouldn’t leave either.
Thank you for being honest. The problem for Welsh fans,which I am,is that criticising the boys is not considered acceptable…we are too loyal. The reality is..Gatland has been brilliant but he is yesterday’s man. He should never ever have returned as he has tarnished his wonderful reputation. Thank you Warren but please go now. Please.
you are by far the best rugby channel on youtube .... what a pleasure to listen to your analyses ... and especially your neutral and enlightened point of view...Thanks Tim.... Allez les Bleus !!!
Hi Tim, Enjoy you sharing your thoughts in an open honest fashion. It’s refreshing. I’m not a Gatland fan, we (Boks) found ourselves on the receiving end on many occasions under warren. That said, we learnt to get better (another discussion for another day). Personally, I don’t think he’s a spent force. In much the same way I still recognize some of what the likes of Eddie Jones has to offer. I think Gats finds himself in the wrong environment, the signs were there more than a year ago. How he has hung on for so long astounds me.
I’m French . I watched Georges-Henri Colombe yesterday night. Clearly his cardio is lacking. Always trying to catch his breath. Even an older Atonio is in better shape .
Can’t recall a single moment when Wales was threatening. Felt like the rare moments when something happened, they kicked the ball in France 22 with no chaser. Felt sorry for Wales.
With the point on the tactics being naive I completely agree, but to me it solely lies on the coaches. You just look at the relative success Wales had when they did up and unders for Rodgers to regather. It seems like the players are scared to go against the coaches tactics (wonder why Anscombe isn't in the squad...) even if in attack it pushes you back 25 m every time.
The only reason Gatland is still in the job is because the WRU can’t afford to pay him to leave. Otherwise he’d have been gone at the end of the year for sure. He’s got nothing to offer with a weak set of players in the modern game. France are extremely good, but definitely not unbeatable. High ball is a definite weakness, so I expect England will definitely target that - there is a reason Ramos is usually paired with Kinghorn at Toulouse. Ntamack will be banned for a few games, but to be honest, he’s not been on top form anyway, so not the end of the world. Though Dupont always seems more comfortable with him there, so that counts for something.
You are right. But he is 60 and only Eddie Jones is older at 64. He does not look like he want to be there anymore or enthusiastic about coaching Wales.
The worst thing about the game yesterday was Wales never looked threatening. To my mind, they never really looked like winning. Couple of opportunities we could have scored but we never looked like a threat. Also, Ben Thomas is a joke at 10
France are a well organised powerful team with a generational "legit general". Wales are still in transition and worked hard to keep the score down. Garland did well with the talent available, the low tackles were generally effective but discipline was poor. I trust WG to keep improving this team.
Honestly Tim I think Gatland is outdated in the modern era. I'll always be grateful for the success and nothing can take that away. But we need innovation in attack to compete and it's something he's never really had with Wales. A lot of our success was down to a strong defence that caused opposition into errors and a straight forward attack with sprinkles of individual brilliance. The defence is a shadow of what it was and our attack is blunt. Morgan broke the gain line a few times but it means nothing if you're static and lacking support. Its lethargic and rudderless
WRU system has not been fit for purpose because of their system and if they recognise their failures or shortcomings comings they could be great again in a decade or so! Just study the IRFU youth system through from schools, clubs, professional interprovincial to national team and it would be “GAME ON” ! Otherwise they will be second division regardless of coach. So don’t hang the coach when your system isn’t designed to supply him with a fully professional cast of players. It’s sad and we all love Welsh rugby, especially me after over a half century of enjoying their gritt❤️
Great commentary…fair and accurate…as usual…You know your rugby stuff…no doubt..fully agree on Lagisquet. He did an amazing job with Portugal. He ll bring some ‘French flair’ in a team that was yes…it’s sad to say…harmless last nite. 😢 As for the RWC, am afraid that World rugby will never allow a non English speaking team to win the trophy…so sorry for France and Argentina…these buggers ll give instructions to the refs accordingly…sadly…and when the trans are so close to each others, the ref can change the game…a yellow card, a generous penalty…and here you are…look at the RWC2023 where it was a mascarade of refereeing…
I really don't understand how people can defend Gatland at this point. Take nothing away from his first tenure it was incredible but, I agree. He's done, it happens to everyone at some point. Rob Howley 100% has to go if that's what our attack is going to be like. To save his job he has to win two games this 6 nations for me.
Gatland should have gone after RWC 2023, offering him a contract until 2027 is one of the most stupid things the WRU have done and they've done some stupid things in the last 30 years. But, you know that when Gatland does go at the end of this 6N, the replacement head coach will be.. Rob Howley
I didn't catch the game last night, but I am on my way to the pub to meet some mates for today's game, on of which is a Welsh mate who is always saying that he hates kicking and thinks teams shouldn't bother with it... I'll ask how that went 😳 Sad to see Wales in such a dip, you just know they'll be up for it when England come to town, so I won't get too cocky with him!
I think gats could serve as a useful asset somewhere else in the WRU managing the pathways ensuring some talent comes through. But coaching wise we need a change and i think he does to this it just hurting the love and legacy we have for gats.
Harmless is harsh, but maybe true. Wales seem mechanical. They line up these predictable structures, attempt to sweep forward but soon stutter to a halt. It's planned and stiff and when you see Ireland do the same it just seems natural and spontaneous. France don't bother with structure - they hang around waiting and then suddenly moving at comfortable speed. I thought Wales did OK at some things. The scrum seemed solid, they were brave and kept on trying - but there is no spontaneity and the kicking, as usual, was straight into French hands.
Having grown up in the 70s, I’ve always enjoyed Wales defeats but took no pleasure in last nights defeat. Surely the current squad needs players like Llewellyn and Anscombe from Gloucester. As you say Tim, they need to try something different tactically too.
He’s not only spent. He’s working on overtime. He should’ve been gone four years ago. What’s he gonna do now change the rules of france can’t even touch the ball.
Question marks in captions should be avoided. They suggest idle speculation and/or hesitant or disguised opinions. As it happens, I thought it was a big mistake getting Gatland back from the start. "Golden oldies" is for the birds.
You are correct that Wales do no have enough good players in the squad, this is not Gatland’s fault and there are 5 matches in this tournament and they were never going to win this match and there were a few calls that went against them. Not sure what is classed as a forward pass, the wing’s try in the early part of the match was clearly forward. Cannot critical the out side half, there is no class player available at this point in time
Personally I think Gats best years were when he was supported by Sean Edwards, a very undervalued coach. He was with Gats at Wasps and early stints at Wales. See the difference Edwards has made in France. I don't think Gats has been helped by the muddled thinking at the WRU and in the Regions. Would anyone else be better? Probably not. He should take the heat for style and tactics and if he doesn't have the personnel with the skill for those tactics, that's definitely on him.
its hard to tell if he's past it as so many of the team is so young they haven't even gotten to it yet. But I do think Gatland isn't what he once was as a coach.
Gatland is yesterday's man, like a punch drunk former champion, he doesn't know his time ad a top ranked coach is gone and Wales is suffering. Granted Welsh club rugby is also in disarray too but, the national team need a new voice in the dressingroom having not won now in 2 years under Gatland.
He was spent before he left the last time, now he is just embarrassing himself. Its so clear he has no gameplan and has completely stopped rebuilding, he is just throwing random combinations out there and hoping for the best.
Thanks Tim. As a neutral, I found the match genuinely painful to watch. “Harmless” was fair. I’m just relieved that Anscombe and Llewellyn at still at Kingsholm not with Gatland.
I think the popularity of football has impacted Welsh rugby more than any other nation. they simply don't have the player pool to be able to lose so many kids to football.
@ebw9802 personally, I think the general popularity of football (mainly premier league) has negatively impacted the number of kids playing rugby. This will have started a long time ago but we're now seeing the result of it. Wales is too small a population for this to not have impacted their national team.
Another way of rewording the forward pass law that should make it clearer to people; Rule; a player shall not pass the ball in such a way as to increase the forward momentum of the ball due to the pass. Sorts out all the issues with frames of reference etc. Then use TV smart- ball tracking to actually see whether there is any increase in forward momentum of the ball due to the pass.
@druid6722 Yes thanks. He for me was progressing the team from a bad place. But WRU chief decided to get Gatland which was a lazy quick fix tactic and completely undone Pivacs work. Thats what i thought at the time looking on from Ireland. If Pivac stayed on Wales would be in a much better place IMO.
Merci de rappeler le palmarès, de Monsieur Gatland. Il reste une grande personne du rugby, malheureusement, il n'a plus les munitions pour composer une équipe qui tienne la route.
I wouldn't say they have worse players. They have different players with different strengths. Old Wales had players built for Gatland's stodgeball style, big strong and more stubborn than anyone else. Current Wales have far more dynamic players and should be playing in a more aggressive fast paced style, Pivac was taking them in the right direction for the players available.
No, these players are worse. The biggest evidence for this is how many of this current Welsh team are playing for top club sides outside of Wales? 10 or 15 years ago, you had the likes of Leigh Halfpenny playing for Toulon, Jamie Roberts for Racing, George North for Northampton, Jon Fox Davies for Clermont, Faletau for Bath, Paul James for Toulon. Apart from Liam Williams at Saracens (who aren't what they used to be) who else is there now?
@ The cap limit has a lot to do with that and a loosing record at international level makes them unattractive to foreign teams no matter how good they are. Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake are genuinely really good players as are a fair few others, they're just not playing to their strengths in a wales shirt.
Harmless in this context means no bite. Like toothless, little attacking threat. Its not a dismissive comment on the Welsh team. Wales got into good territorial positions but failed to score.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
No need to apologize, that's a fair assessment of where Wales are at right now.
Much like , England under this coach ,so many good players , Borthwick couldn't pick he's 👃
Him and Eddie Jones peaked with the 2019 RWC, the game has changed massively since then and they've both stuck to what they believe instead of adapting
Yip100% but don't think they got the money to fire.Somehow eddie keeps getting hired .The aussies got lucky that Japan nicked Eddie
@@Bacon56ful I think you mean ‘He, and Eddie Jones…’ And. who on earth inflicted on us, a scruff-bag like Eddie Jones? The man barely speaks English, for God’s sake!
Irish fan , I thought the ref got a lot wrong especially a high tackle against a welsh player, France definitely deserved their big win they are superb, & so young, but I really hope wales comeback the world of rugby need this great little country who have given us some of the best rugby matches in the past , but if I were France I wouldn’t be strutting my stuff just yet
You know if there is a country that does not "crowd" it is France, in terms of bad times we know it lasted 10 years and during these 10 years we had to work, rebuild the clubs, the rugby schools, the training methods and everything else. So yes the Welsh took a big beating but when you are at your lowest you can only go up.
The French aren’t strutting their stuff, they knew that this Welsh team is thé worst in the 6 nations . They simply did what they had to do , and by the 50th minute rested a third of the team. England at Twikenham is when the tournament starts . The only problem is, as Tim mentioned, injuries (Flamant and Penaud) and at 10 - do you go to Ramos or chose Jalibert ? Will they win it all ? Maybe … but after the 2 matches played Saturday none of the next 4 are pushovers. And as Going to Twicks isn’t easy , nor is it for Ireland going to Murrayfield (from a French fan)
It's too early, it's as simply as that. Some players need a lot more experience and some replaced by new talents when they come along. Until then it's Wales getting the Wooden Spoon, or perhaps fluking a win over Italy or England on a bad day.
It is easy to pick the faults, but finding the answers is ultimately harder, not sure anyone knows the answers, let alone the authority to put it right
One point I would slightly disagree with, I don’t think Gatland’s tactics are outdated per se, it’s just he doesn’t now have the players to make it work.
For example the few times Jac Morgan carried with the ball yesterday he actually looked capable of breaking the gain line as he is one of the only players in that squad that has the size and athleticism to compete at that level.
If Gatland still had backs with the size and speed of a Roberts, a Davies, a North, then I think it could still be effective (at least to a certain degree). The problem is, he doesn’t, and so needs to adapt to what he has got to work with, which unfortunately he doesn’t look capable of doing. Some very tough years ahead I fear!
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. As a Welsh supporter, I just think the WRU are stuck in 2012 and hope to return to how things were. Playing 'hard' and giving effort is the bare minimum standard, losing by 30+ points every game is not something a 2nd tier nation would accept, we shouldn't either.
Remind me again,what's the price of a ticket for Joe public.😢
Harmless - yes, that bites very deeply - and the pundits were spot on - Wales can't magically get out of this mess - their players have to go through the process of improvement which is going to take a couple of seasons still and they are still going to lose matches badly - no other option - they will have to double their fitness regimes - each player personally - they are going to have to double their tackle rate in matches - they will have to empty the tank up to 50 minutes and then bomb squad like SA and bring on their best players for the last 30 or so minutes to lessen the potential wipe out in the later stages of a match - tough times - would Rassie even be able to change their fortunes?
attack is the best form of defence in rugby and Wales have no shape, no strike moves, no multi-phase play.
@@SMacCuUladh HOWLEY = End of Gats
Agreed howley needs to go@@Uddify
JE SUIS FRANCAIS ET J AIME AUSSI LE PAYS DE GALLES QUI ETAIT TRES FORT LES ANNEE PRESEDANTE ET J ESPERE QU ILS REMONTERONT DANS LEURS JEU
Tu sais que les majuscules ca fait mal aux yeux! Ton message est positif mais tu est est sur une video Anglaise sois subtile, fais pas passer les Francais pour des bourrins.
oh lala le menteur
Je suis Aussi francais qui habit au pays de Galles depuis 30 ans et je vois Le pays de Galles rugby house exploding slowy
We did ex wales player to manage wales and recreate rugby school of excellence
first video I've watched on your channel, brilliant! no clickbait or nonsense...great review. subsrcibed
Jac Morgan is the only welsh player that deserves to go to Australia later this year
Dewi Lake, if fit, would be another
Tomos Williams? Third choice with JGP and Alex Mitchell?
@EggchasersRugby definitely. Lake is the one player from the current era that us South Africans respect in terms of physicality and attitude. Lake has had some good tussles with Marx
What a player, incredibly disciplined, ferocious in attack, and lead by example for his team. Would love to see a huge Wales turnaround in the next two years, otherwise talent like Morgan is wasted
@@EggchasersRugby I would have him as the replacement hooker behind Dan Sheehan
I think Gatland was made look good by Shaun Edwards and his departure signalled the end of Wales successes. Major mistake letting him go to France, France have improved since Edwards arrived and turned them into a great defensive team to complete their attacking creativity.
🎯
Edwards is just one bloke. Yeah he works the players hard, but it's not like he used the Men In Black flashy thing on the entire squad when he left.
They also had Sean Edwards when they had the success. He undoubtedly made a difference.
The Bayonne Express might do a job but the players don’t seem to be able to cut it currently
Was looking for someone to mention Shaun. Glad I’m not alone in that view.
Jack Morgan has a great attitude. Gatland did not do well coaching Waikato and I was really surprised that they took him back.
I disagree that Wales don’t have the talent or size available. Carre, Grady, Llewellyn, James, Lake, Faletau, Beard, Fender, Anscombe, Griffin (edit) and Morse are all examples of players with either elite talent or size that either aren’t being selected or are unavailable. The coaching, tactics and selection is what’s letting Wales down. Gatland is and always will be one of the greatest coaches of our game, but it is sad to say that his time is up. Another point is that Wales seem to always have terrible “luck” with injuries. This has been going on for so long now that it is not luck or coincidence, there is clearly a huge issue with the conditioning of the players which all leads back to underfunding and lack of top tier infrastructure. Would be interested to hear other people’s takes.
Gatland not picking those players you have mentioned, and a whole load of others, is unforgivable. The guy is too arrogant to admit he's wrong. Thomas at ten, I mean, come on ffs. Centre's hopeless, Liam past his best, Adam's not really fit, and don't get me started on assiratti
Most are crap
Beard 😂😂😂😂😂🙈🙈
What about Carre, Joe Hawkins, Jarrod Evans, Llewellyn, Callum Sheedy? Morgan Morse all better than current selected players
Where is Morgan Morse 😞 he’s a lump, physical, a ball carrier!!!! I just don’t get it..
One way or another, I bet they won’t be harmless against England
Oh I agree - they always raise their game for that one
@@EggchasersRugbythey won’t be able to. Honestly, Gatland and Howley have completely lost the dressing room.
@@TP1988 ordinarily I would agree with you but what 🏴 are going through atm is anything but ordinary- and by the time 🏴 play 🏴 , they could be zero wins from 4 and possibly yet to earn a point , so confidence could be on the floor if it’s not already
@@huwjohn5540 England could be zero wins from four too 😆
@@TP1988it’s a possibility but unlikely. They face Italy who they’ve never lost. Wales, sadly,and this applies to all sports are in a wilderness of lack of real talent. Their clubs are floundering and there is no actual elite talent coming through . Italy invested heavily in their youth teams and now are reaping the rewards but that took 5-10 years. Luckily, for Wales, they can’t get relegated because they wouldn’t come back for aeons.
Agree with everything Tim!
It is worth noting today, Galthié was invited in FranceTV before Ireland-England and said the defense needed was the point that needed most improvment, and the team is genreally at its peak for the third game. He was aslo curious to see what Smith as a fly half vs Ford would mean for te kicking game of England.
Also, unrelated, he had on of his poetic sentences about the future of the game : "With the new laws, sky is now a new space of conquest, this is _maginfique_ for rugby!", and I feel the following game was a perfect illustration of it =)
Thank God! I’m tired of people making excuses.
Everything people say about the wru, lack of player quality, finances, regions - fine.
But we should be doing better with what we have.
If we were putting our best foot forward, fine, but we’re not.
A good coach would look at the best players available to them and make a game plan that works for those players. Gatland only has one game plan but doesn't have the players to fulfill that plan. It is very frustrating as a Welsh supporter watching much better players playing for regions but not getting a look in at international level.
When Andy Farrell gets back to Ireland, Simon Easterby is an obvious head coach pick. Scarlets man with major experience.
if i had to pick no2 at ireland or no 1 at ireland i'd stay were i was,
@@SMacCuUladh Absolutely. I can't imagine any half decent coach being willing to take on the Welsh job and Easterby, despite his Welsh connections, will stay with Ireland.
Let me address a particular beef. Again, today, people were talking about Huw Jones and the magic word ‘hat-trick.’ A hat-trick is not just three tries (or three goals in the other game). A hat-trick is three scores which are consecutive, not interrupted by a score by another person.
Great analysis….spot on with France’s scrum….i was anticipating us getting mullered there but it didn’t happen. I really feel for the boys in red..tough times ahead.
How will Wales, on their current form, do against Georgia or even Portugal?
Thinking the same thing myself
Love the channel blaa, blaa, blaa. 2 things. Firstly, talking about Wales’ toothless attack, Alex King left his role as attack coach a couple of weeks ago with Rob Howley taking over. I think that was some red meat thrown to the press and the fans to try and take the heat off Gatland. Tactically, it’s clearly not been a great idea! Secondly, when has Gatland been his most successful? Domestic and European championships with Wasps. Grand Slams with Wales. What’s changed? What’s different? What’s missing? SHAUN EDWARDS!!! At his side at every win was Shaun so maybe, just maybe, Gatland has never been the answer.
Welsh fan here. Completely agree with the comments, fantastic analysis.
He was done long ago. I cant believe he is still there.
Don't forget about his stint with ireland from 98 to 2001...he brought in the golden generation ✨️
Gatland enjoyed a lot of his success Wasps and Wales in partnership with Shaun Edwards
Gatland had some good race horses under him during the glory years for Wales. AWJ, Biggar, Warburton, Gethin, Faletau etc... He also had Shaun Edwards who is a great defense coach and helped Wales play a sort of anti-rugby, similar to the boks. Very effective if you are well conditioned and committed. But you need the right horses for that and a SE type guy to run it.
Not sure the current crop and coaches can replicate that and there seems to be a bit of an identity crisis.....stuck between the past and the future.
Very well put 👍🏼 couldn’t have said it better myself.
Very fair and insightful comments, Tim. I hope Wales either win against Italy or get an absolute beatdown to move Gats on. A narrow defeat would be the worst of all worlds
🎯
Also a Gats fan, also don't like running down him nor the players. Thought they played their guts out. Would like to see those same players with fresh ideas.
Glad ppl seeing more of attisogbe. Performing for Pau for a couple of seasons now
welsh fan here - agree 100% with comments
Excellent analysis on Wales from a Welshman👏🏼
Hey there! Long-time viewer of the channel, love the content! But I think Gatland is getting a pretty rough deal here. Let’s put aside his historic achievements for a moment because he’s been an incredible coach in the past. Also, just to clarify, I'm an Ireland fan, so I don't have a huge stake in the Wales situation, but I think we need to consider the bigger picture.
In rugby today, everyone's comparing teams to others, but Wales is one of those nations that's had their entire system gutted. Their provincial approach to rugby, where everything came from the ground up, is almost nonexistent now. The coaching pipeline seems to have dried up, and there doesn’t seem to be any emerging talent that can add that “X-factor” into the team. Realistically, I think Wales needs a solid 10 years of rebuilding to get back to a competitive level. If they followed the approaches of other countries, like Ireland's grassroots strategy, it would take that long to restore what they once had. That's how far behind they are.
That said, let’s talk about what happened last night. For the first 20 minutes, Wales had incredible possession and were dogged in the rucks, making tackles and scrambling. But let’s be real - when you’re up against a team like France, who are dynamic and can break through defenses with ease, do you really want to be kicking the ball to them? France is one of the best attacking teams in the world right now. If Wales gave them the ball, they were practically guaranteeing another try. So, in that context, Wales’ strategy of holding onto possession and charging through the line makes sense. Sure, they were struggling in the second half, but what else could they do?
France was in full control when they had the ball, and Wales managed to stop at least two tries on the line. Their scrum wasn’t terrible, and the Welsh defense wasn’t bad overall. The issue is they don’t have the big players to match up physically, and they didn’t seem to challenge in the lineouts. Their kicks up the field, and out wide, also seemed unlucky at times or hesitant plays. Like that terrible grubber kick in the first 15 into French hands. Its a fair point to say that there was more then a couple of mistakes tho, - The few bad knock-ons and unfortunate breaks - kept them from potentially getting two scores in the first half. Honestly, I think the game could have ended 10-43 if things had gone slightly differently.
And for Wales to go to France, with the way the French team is played, and compete like they did? That’s no easy task. I wouldn’t want to send Ireland out against that French team. I think the best course of action now is to hold off on making any judgments on Gatland until after the Italy and Scotland games. If they get hammered by Italy, that’s probably it. But if they put up a good fight against Scotland, then it’s time to have that discussion about whether Gatland is still the right person for the job.
You are an excellent analyst mate.
Il faut tempérer nos commentateurs, c'est une erreur de dire "harmless", une équipe est toujours "harmless" jusqu'a ce qu'elle réalise un essai.....cette fois ci les gallois n'ont pas eu cette chance, mais je trouve "harmless" exagéré, c'est le commentaire d'un journaliste sportif tranquillement installé sur une chaise avec un Cognac dans la main, ce n'est pas celui des joueurs! ....je suis d'accord avec toi, bon commentaire!
je pense la meme, allez les vertes
I don’t believe Wales’ players are that different to ours. I mean, they perform well in the prem. I watch Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams, Anscombe, Freddie Thomas, Llewellyn, Jenkins, Refell, Carré, Hathaway, Tshiunza, Hawkins, Cracknell and more, every week in the prem. They look very good to me. I’m not saying they’d make the England team, but I think some would at least. Then add the Welsh based players and they should be able to make a good team.
(Just after I wrote this Habana’s Sage advert popped up in the middle of your video 😂).
This is over the top. The 12-3 penalty account was massively unfair to Wales. They were a match for France for 20 minutes and a few errors brought France into the scoring zone.
I saw Wales stand up and fight for the entire match. Gatland is here for the 6N.
Because Wales fought and concentrated to the end, they will learn and develop. I think they are well in with a chance to beat Italy. If they do they can have a cut at the other teams including having a cut against Ireland in Cardiff and England.
A match for 20 minutes but went in 28-0 at half time. Then France swapped out a third of the team including Dupont at 50th , still added 15 points and weren’t even threatened when at 14.
And I love Welsh rugby history but the decline of talent has been constant for 4 or 5 years and is shown in the URC too. This team will,based on the performances over the weekend will be beaten handily by an Italian team with flair, talent and youth .
It was painful to watch as a neutral.
It was gutsy from Wales, but after the opening passages they genuinely never looked like scoring. However well you defend, you’re in trouble if you can’t score more than zero.
Wales have good enough players. Our scrum was OK....we had possession..... its the patterns of play ..... new coach set up now needed.....
We have big men not even in the squad. Rhys Carrie and Max Llewelyn for starters.
Can t see France beating Ireland and England away . They both looked strong today .
From what i read in rugby news, at half time management gave the French team a new goal: not let one point go the Welsh team. So that permanent hard defense line makes sense (especially with Baille trying to go for a jackal at one point and then clearly saying sorry to his team mates afterwards).
Fantastic video mate. I thought 'having a script is so important because it allows you to go off-script' was brilliant. Eggchasers and squidge crossover anyone?
Tim is great, squidge is over-rated.
Impossible to imagine that a Tier 1 coach can have 13 losses on the trot and still have a job. Is there no one else in Wales that can take over? If that is the case, then it is a serious enditement of the planning within Wales rugby. Their only hope to break the streak is the fact they are playing Italy next week. Wales outside the top 10 in World rankings is difficult to digest.
Welsh rugby has been destroyed by the Welsh Rugby Union's long-term mismanagement of games in the country. It will take a long time to climb out of this hole. It took France a decade or more.
Look it. You could see in the first Netflix series. Gatland was out walking with his wife. I think they were talking about the decision to come back. Reading his face you got the feeling that it didn’t seem quite right.
I will stand by the fact we have a decent group of tier 1 quality players available but Gatland either refuses to pick them or plays them out of position.
And in my opinion, Gatland's greatest crime is that for all his talk of developing young players, he has done everything in his power to hurt their chances. He plays them out of position i.e Ben Thomas or doesn't surround them with anyone to learn off. Dan Edwards could learn loads of Gareth Anscomb but didn't pick him because he's to old apparently.
And tatically it's pretty apparent, as you mentioned, that he is pretty clueless about how the modern game is meant to be played.
He was a superb coach. He's now a has been like Eddie Jones-and why the WRU brought him back on a watertight contract on the back of a his defeats in charge on the chiefs (zero wins) and a Lions loss will always be beyond me.
Spot on. From a loyal, frustrated, and disappointed Welshman.
The only thing I'd call you up on is just how relevant the low French penalty count last night is when moving forward in the tournament. I don't think you can guarantee that when France play away against better teams. When you are at rock bottom in sport there is a tendency for officials to have a very premeditated attitude towards the weaker team. There was a lot of inconsistency last night, particularly with how the two teams were refereed at the breakdown. And don't forget, even now, French players have a propensity for major acts of indiscipline with Ntamark last night a case in point.
Gatland isn’t solely to blame but at this point feels like the whole set up could do with a fresh face with new ideas. Gatlands made some bizarre decisions such as trying to make Ben Thomas a 10 and mason grady a centre. Calling up Cory hill then making him captain? No real consistency in squad selections, telling anscombe he’s basically to old then bringing back 33 year old Liam Williams.
Problems in welsh rugby run far deeper than gatland but their is also a feeling that he’s “ yesterdays man”
You can't question his loyalty, but the WRU should have taken matters out of his hands after last year's 6 Nations. The way the game is coached and played has moved on since 2019.
Nothing to do with loyalty the mans one of the highest paid coaches in international rugby. For such a high salary and little expectation I wouldn’t leave either.
@@levigriffiths8213 A comment that you can't possibly back up.
Thank you for being honest. The problem for Welsh fans,which I am,is that criticising the boys is not considered acceptable…we are too loyal. The reality is..Gatland has been brilliant but he is yesterday’s man. He should never ever have returned as he has tarnished his wonderful reputation. Thank you Warren but please go now. Please.
you are by far the best rugby channel on youtube .... what a pleasure to listen to your analyses ... and especially your neutral and enlightened point of view...Thanks Tim.... Allez les Bleus !!!
Neutral? Very one eyed I think. Usually I don't watch this chap because of it.
@@maff_001 If everyone disagrees with you, you might need to look at yourself.
@ this is one of the fun things about being a grown up - we can all have an opinion. mine is just an opinion - same as everyone else 😜
Gatland was spent 5 years ago. Is there no one else in Wales?
Hi Tim,
Enjoy you sharing your thoughts in an open honest fashion. It’s refreshing.
I’m not a Gatland fan, we (Boks) found ourselves on the receiving end on many occasions under warren. That said, we learnt to get better (another discussion for another day).
Personally, I don’t think he’s a spent force. In much the same way I still recognize some of what the likes of Eddie Jones has to offer.
I think Gats finds himself in the wrong environment, the signs were there more than a year ago.
How he has hung on for so long astounds me.
I’m French .
I watched Georges-Henri Colombe yesterday night.
Clearly his cardio is lacking.
Always trying to catch his breath.
Even an older Atonio is in better shape .
Its all to do with the players.
Put whatever manager you want in place, if the players arent up to scratch, you’re pissing in the wind
Can’t recall a single moment when Wales was threatening. Felt like the rare moments when something happened, they kicked the ball in France 22 with no chaser. Felt sorry for Wales.
And what about the Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit, who abandoned the Welsh ship ?
I think he felt how down the XV Wales was going.
With the point on the tactics being naive I completely agree, but to me it solely lies on the coaches. You just look at the relative success Wales had when they did up and unders for Rodgers to regather. It seems like the players are scared to go against the coaches tactics (wonder why Anscombe isn't in the squad...) even if in attack it pushes you back 25 m every time.
The only reason Gatland is still in the job is because the WRU can’t afford to pay him to leave. Otherwise he’d have been gone at the end of the year for sure. He’s got nothing to offer with a weak set of players in the modern game.
France are extremely good, but definitely not unbeatable. High ball is a definite weakness, so I expect England will definitely target that - there is a reason Ramos is usually paired with Kinghorn at Toulouse. Ntamack will be banned for a few games, but to be honest, he’s not been on top form anyway, so not the end of the world. Though Dupont always seems more comfortable with him there, so that counts for something.
You are right. But he is 60 and only Eddie Jones is older at 64.
He does not look like he want to be there anymore or enthusiastic about coaching Wales.
The worst thing about the game yesterday was Wales never looked threatening. To my mind, they never really looked like winning. Couple of opportunities we could have scored but we never looked like a threat. Also, Ben Thomas is a joke at 10
If for 20 minutes
well the welsh u20s just got pumped by france 60-19 so its not a great supply line is it!
😂 lol
When is the Wales game?
It was yesterday
@jad7334 they did? From the score it looks like they must still play?
@@ARCPrecisionSolutionsyou don’t make jokes very often do you mate 😂
😂😂😂
Sorry Wales fans, that's 80 minutes you'll never get back, don't worry England are the same,
I hope someone at the WRU had the foresight at the after match dinner to have a quiet word in Shaun Edwards ear.
France are a well organised powerful team with a generational "legit general".
Wales are still in transition and worked hard to keep the score down.
Garland did well with the talent available, the low tackles were generally effective but discipline was poor. I trust WG to keep improving this team.
💯 spot on. Said the same to mates about WG and Eddie. OGs stuck on predictable sets and no innovation. Great in their days.
Lagisquet.. Good suggestion.
Is it true Gatland offered his resignation, and it wasn’t accepted?
Allegedly, last year. After losing to Italy I think
Honestly Tim I think Gatland is outdated in the modern era. I'll always be grateful for the success and nothing can take that away. But we need innovation in attack to compete and it's something he's never really had with Wales. A lot of our success was down to a strong defence that caused opposition into errors and a straight forward attack with sprinkles of individual brilliance. The defence is a shadow of what it was and our attack is blunt. Morgan broke the gain line a few times but it means nothing if you're static and lacking support. Its lethargic and rudderless
WRU system has not been fit for purpose because of their system and if they recognise their failures or shortcomings comings they could be great again in a decade or so! Just study the IRFU youth system through from schools, clubs, professional interprovincial to national team and it would be “GAME ON” ! Otherwise they will be second division regardless of coach. So don’t hang the coach when your system isn’t designed to supply him with a fully professional cast of players. It’s sad and we all love Welsh rugby, especially me after over a half century of enjoying their gritt❤️
Just to accentuate your point France U20s just put over 60 points against them … that’s the talent shortage in a nutshell !
He did with Ireland too.
Great commentary…fair and accurate…as usual…You know your rugby stuff…no doubt..fully agree on Lagisquet. He did an amazing job with Portugal. He ll bring some ‘French flair’ in a team that was yes…it’s sad to say…harmless last nite. 😢
As for the RWC, am afraid that World rugby will never allow a non English speaking team to win the trophy…so sorry for France and Argentina…these buggers ll give instructions to the refs accordingly…sadly…and when the trans are so close to each others, the ref can change the game…a yellow card, a generous penalty…and here you are…look at the RWC2023 where it was a mascarade of refereeing…
Great commentary - as ever
I really don't understand how people can defend Gatland at this point. Take nothing away from his first tenure it was incredible but, I agree. He's done, it happens to everyone at some point. Rob Howley
100% has to go if that's what our attack is going to be like.
To save his job he has to win two games this 6 nations for me.
Gatland should have gone after RWC 2023, offering him a contract until 2027 is one of the most stupid things the WRU have done and they've done some stupid things in the last 30 years.
But, you know that when Gatland does go at the end of this 6N, the replacement head coach will be..
Rob Howley
I didn't catch the game last night, but I am on my way to the pub to meet some mates for today's game, on of which is a Welsh mate who is always saying that he hates kicking and thinks teams shouldn't bother with it... I'll ask how that went 😳
Sad to see Wales in such a dip, you just know they'll be up for it when England come to town, so I won't get too cocky with him!
What was the score France vs Wales?
I think gats could serve as a useful asset somewhere else in the WRU managing the pathways ensuring some talent comes through. But coaching wise we need a change and i think he does to this it just hurting the love and legacy we have for gats.
He's never developed talent. If anything he's squandered it
Harmless is harsh, but maybe true. Wales seem mechanical. They line up these predictable structures, attempt to sweep forward but soon stutter to a halt. It's planned and stiff and when you see Ireland do the same it just seems natural and spontaneous. France don't bother with structure - they hang around waiting and then suddenly moving at comfortable speed. I thought Wales did OK at some things. The scrum seemed solid, they were brave and kept on trying - but there is no spontaneity and the kicking, as usual, was straight into French hands.
Having grown up in the 70s, I’ve always enjoyed Wales defeats but took no pleasure in last nights defeat. Surely the current squad needs players like Llewellyn and Anscombe from Gloucester. As you say Tim, they need to try something different tactically too.
Gatland's mistake was coming back, he's ruined his reputation 🤘
He’s not only spent. He’s working on overtime. He should’ve been gone four years ago. What’s he gonna do now change the rules of france can’t even touch the ball.
Great review again Tim. If Gats doesn’t get sacked I think he’ll walk away soon.
Question marks in captions should be avoided. They suggest idle speculation and/or hesitant or disguised opinions. As it happens, I thought it was a big mistake getting Gatland back from the start. "Golden oldies" is for the birds.
You are correct that Wales do no have enough good players in the squad, this is not Gatland’s fault and there are 5 matches in this tournament and they were never going to win this match and there were a few calls that went against them. Not sure what is classed as a forward pass, the wing’s try in the early part of the match was clearly forward. Cannot critical the out side half, there is no class player available at this point in time
Personally I think Gats best years were when he was supported by Sean Edwards, a very undervalued coach. He was with Gats at Wasps and early stints at Wales. See the difference Edwards has made in France. I don't think Gats has been helped by the muddled thinking at the WRU and in the Regions. Would anyone else be better? Probably not. He should take the heat for style and tactics and if he doesn't have the personnel with the skill for those tactics, that's definitely on him.
its hard to tell if he's past it as so many of the team is so young they haven't even gotten to it yet. But I do think Gatland isn't what he once was as a coach.
Gatland is yesterday's man, like a punch drunk former champion, he doesn't know his time ad a top ranked coach is gone and Wales is suffering. Granted Welsh club rugby is also in disarray too but, the national team need a new voice in the dressingroom having not won now in 2 years under Gatland.
He was spent before he left the last time, now he is just embarrassing himself. Its so clear he has no gameplan and has completely stopped rebuilding, he is just throwing random combinations out there and hoping for the best.
I watched it on ITV, I'm sure the commentators were meeting up with Dupont after the game for some "fun" the amount of fawning they were doing.
The 6 nations need a strong Wales.
Thanks Tim. As a neutral, I found the match genuinely painful to watch. “Harmless” was fair. I’m just relieved that Anscombe and Llewellyn at still at Kingsholm not with Gatland.
It’s another loss in Rome, Gatland back to NZ beach house by Easter. We need Shaun Edwards back, and Pat Lam as head coach
I think the popularity of football has impacted Welsh rugby more than any other nation. they simply don't have the player pool to be able to lose so many kids to football.
Do you think the success of the nation football teams has negatively affected the Rugby team?
@ebw9802 personally, I think the general popularity of football (mainly premier league) has negatively impacted the number of kids playing rugby. This will have started a long time ago but we're now seeing the result of it. Wales is too small a population for this to not have impacted their national team.
Thankfully no serious head injuries
We are lucky to have Gats! It’s not the coaches that are the problem.
Another way of rewording the forward pass law that should make it clearer to people;
Rule; a player shall not pass the ball in such a way as to increase the forward momentum of the ball due to the pass.
Sorts out all the issues with frames of reference etc. Then use TV smart- ball tracking to actually see whether there is any increase in forward momentum of the ball due to the pass.
The commentators got it the wrong way round, it was Ntamack who was 'armless.
Why did they get rid of the previous Wales coach ? He was doing well before they brought gatland with steady progress.
Wayne Pivac? Because he lost to Italy, and Georgia...
but he didn't lose 13 matches in a row
@druid6722 Yes thanks. He for me was progressing the team from a bad place. But WRU chief decided to get Gatland which was a lazy quick fix tactic and completely undone Pivacs work. Thats what i thought at the time looking on from Ireland. If Pivac stayed on Wales would be in a much better place IMO.
Merci de rappeler le palmarès, de Monsieur Gatland. Il reste une grande personne du rugby, malheureusement, il n'a plus les munitions pour composer une équipe qui tienne la route.
I wouldn't say they have worse players. They have different players with different strengths. Old Wales had players built for Gatland's stodgeball style, big strong and more stubborn than anyone else. Current Wales have far more dynamic players and should be playing in a more aggressive fast paced style, Pivac was taking them in the right direction for the players available.
That's a fair point actually.
No, these players are worse. The biggest evidence for this is how many of this current Welsh team are playing for top club sides outside of Wales? 10 or 15 years ago, you had the likes of Leigh Halfpenny playing for Toulon, Jamie Roberts for Racing, George North for Northampton, Jon Fox Davies for Clermont, Faletau for Bath, Paul James for Toulon. Apart from Liam Williams at Saracens (who aren't what they used to be) who else is there now?
@ The cap limit has a lot to do with that and a loosing record at international level makes them unattractive to foreign teams no matter how good they are. Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake are genuinely really good players as are a fair few others, they're just not playing to their strengths in a wales shirt.
Harmless in this context means no bite. Like toothless, little attacking threat. Its not a dismissive comment on the Welsh team. Wales got into good territorial positions but failed to score.