Wales fell to a record defeat at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, as the Wallabies secured a 20-52 win over the hosts. This marked a record 11th straight defeat for a Wales side struggling under Warren Gatland’s reign.
It’s worth noting that despite a hugely successful era previously run under Gatland, the current squad lacks certain qualities that were taken for granted in the previous tenure. That being said, their run of form has put the New Zealand-born coach under immense pressure, with many fans calling for the head coach to step aside.
The man from Hamilton spoke with the press after his side’s defeat on Sunday. He said that he has spoken to WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood and executive director of rugby Nigel Walker about his future but that no decision has been made yet.
“Whatever the best decision is for Welsh rugby is, I’m more than comfortable with that. If that’s about me going and that’s the best decision, then make the decision. We’ll talk about that and make that together”, he told reporters.
Gatland was keen to stress that improving Welsh rugby was at the forefront of his thoughts, but he questioned what a change in personnel would really do for the Welsh rugby community.
“What I care about massively is Welsh rugby and the future of the game”, Gatland said.
“If you’re going to change me, who are you going to get to come in and how are they going to make a change?” he added.
“Maybe making a change will help mitigate some of the negativity because it will deflect things and the focus will be on something else.
“But will it improve the game? Are you going to find the right person to do something else?
“Or are we better off sticking our head down, ploughing on and hopefully putting some things in place that can hopefully make some improvements at regional level and in the pathway, which can benefit us.”
It’s worth noting that things weren’t exactly rosy at the WRU before Gatland arrived. So to pin the blame for poor performance purely on one person is potentially harsh. So, how has it affected the man in charge?
“It’s challenging at the moment, the most challenging it has been,” admitted Gatland.
“It’s probably taking in a little bit of today and reflecting on some stuff.
“I’ll have a chat with a few people about what happens from here, with my wife – we have made lots of sacrifices as a family.
“I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t ask myself some questions, but I do it because I love being involved in the game. I have so many good memories of my time in Wales and the people and the friends I’ve made.
“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved in the past, particularly in terms of World Cups.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as Gatland was keen to remind the press that there have been certain successes during his return to Welsh duties, noting:
“There were a lot of people who were predicting for the World Cup we wouldn’t get out of our group, saying we weren’t good enough to do that.
“We ended up winning the group and should have made a semi-final. We were gutted.
“The last 12 months haven’t been successful. We’ve lost a lot of experience and we know there’s a rebuilding phase to go through.”
Welsh Rugby is at a crossroads now. Either stick with Gatland and put all their support behind him, or get rid and throw a blind dart at someone willing to drink from the poisoned chalice. One thing is true, however, once you hit the ground…the only way is up.
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