Wales’ latest crushing defeat against Fiji has sparked many questions. A record 10th consecutive defeat, a first ever loss to the Fijians at home and not a single win in 2024 have brought the pressure on head coach Warren Gatland to boiling point.
Many former Wales internationals have chosen to put their foot down, with Mike Phillips launching a furious social media rant demanding Gatland’s sacking, Alex Cuthbert claiming the manager’s job is on the line, Dan Biggar admitting that Welsh rugby is at a crossroads and perhaps the most damaging is Jamie Roberts – who is also an independent non-executive director on the board of the Welsh Rugby Union – saying they have not not of everything progressed as a team. For good measure, Roberts and Gatland are now engaged in a war of words over whether the former center was reprimanded for his comments, given his involvement with the WRU.
However, former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton – who works as a TNT Sports pundit throughout the Autumn Nations Series – takes a different approach, believing Gatland needs more time to put things right, with the end of the Six 2025. The nations will serve as its day of reckoning, provided the remaining autumn games are not a complete disaster.
“If you give someone two years [Gatland retook the role as Wales head coach ahead of the 2023 Six Nations]I think it’s fair,” Warburton said. “Two years seems like a long time, but that’s about 25 tests and I think that’s a good number. You’ve had the boys for quite a while.
“Fiji was a week away from autumn, I always said to get to the end of the campaign before making a decision. I mean, if it’s disastrous over the next couple of weeks, then obviously you might have to re-evaluate that.
“There’s a lot of credit in the bank there with Warren. Let this happen at the end of the campaign, then you can do whatever you want, but do a full and thorough review before making a decision.
Defeats to an Australian team after an encouraging victory against England this weekend, then against two-time world champions South Africa, would mean a first calendar year without a victory for Wales since the 1930s .
The team is currently undergoing a youth movement and, in the last two years, has gone from having 12 Lions in their matchday squad to just one (Adam Beard) against Fiji last weekend. In contrast, Harlequins had two Welsh Lions (Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny) in their starting XV for Friday night’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Ealing Trailfinders.
Warburton believes a lack of talent, with a few notable exceptions, is Wales’ main problem, but he is surprisingly optimistic about their chances against the Wallabies on Sunday. Jac Morgan and James Botham have been preferred to Tommy Reffell and Taine Plumtree in the back row and the former skipper is adamant he can help the hosts find a quick fix at Cardiff that might just plug a few holes.
“Wales have some excellent young players,” Warburton said. “Dewi Lake, Archie Griffin, Jac Morgan, Tomos Williams – we have some brilliant players but honestly I think other countries have more quality in their wider squads at the moment than Wales.
“To operate at the highest level in the Six Nations you need 10-15 of these guys and I don’t think we have 15 players of the quality of Jac Morgan, Archie Griffin, Dewi Lake – not now anyway. That’s why coaches talk about progress because maybe they expect the players to get through it.
“But I think Wales will be more competitive this weekend. They’re the kind of team that responds pretty well to the kind of weeks we’re going through at the moment when their backs are against the wall.
“I like the selection this week. Going forward, carrying ability is so important in international football and you need that ability to dominate the gain line through physicality, smart plays and deception and running lines.
“Wales have now brought in Jac Morgan and James Botham in the back row – they have all played number 8 for their club. From a ball-carrying standpoint, this is our best back line. Maybe we use these guys to step in on short lineups – I think that’s a quick fix for this game. With Dewi Lake, Archie Griffin, Will Rowlands and that entire back line, we have six dynamic running backs, so I’m much more optimistic about this weekend in the pack.
The make-up of Wales’ third row has been the subject of much debate, with Gatland playing either the very impressive Morgan or Reffell – who is perhaps the English Premiership’s biggest break-up threat – at No.7 , the other being on the bench. While there may be a temptation to include both in the lineup, Warburton is confident it is the right decision to choose between them on a weekly basis.
“On your six and seven you have to cover all your bases, including a lineout option,” Warburton explained. “If you play Morgan And Reffell, I just feel like you’re losing a lineup option and there’s not as much carry capacity as you’d like.
“If you had a monster front five, which all carry, then you can play them together, but Wales don’t have the same size front five as France or England, for example. So I think you need to put this back in your last row.
“Really, it’s a celebration that we have so many great back lines to choose from. In Wales the only thing we never lacked was back rowers. To be honest, you could pick a lot of these guys and I’m not too picky – I really rate them all. It’s a very good thing that Wales have Tommy and Jac. As a result, it will make them both better equally.
Every match of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series is broadcast exclusively live on TNT Sports and Discovery+. The Autumn Nations Rugby Show airs every Thursday at 10pm on Quest