We are so accustomed to Wales success in the Six Nations, but the class of 2022 will probably be hiding in embarrassment. After storming to the title 12 months ago, this year they finished a lowly fifth.
When you factor in that Wales won only one of their five matches, and they succumbed to defeat to perennial wooden spooners Italy in their final game, a serious post-mortem is needed.
The dust may have only just settled, but there will be a lot of puzzled bodies in the camp, and there will be serious questions about where they go next.
Perhaps we can start right at the top and look at the governance of the WRU (Welsh Rugby Union). They seem to be at a crossroads as to the direction that Welsh rugby should take, and it all seems to be rather disjointed. If we start to play the blame game, then maybe the chairman Rob Butcher is an easy scapegoat.
The coaching staff may also want to investigate what has gone wrong. In particular, the 2022 Six Nations campaign was a chastening experience for Wayne Pivac who took over from the much-lauded Warren Gatland. There was a lack of creativity on the field, and at the times, the attacking play at times, seemed to be almost non-existent.
Wales have built the foundations on what many thought was a solid defence, but they unravelled spectacularly against Ireland, conceding four tries.
Where does this leave the WRU? Evidently, there needs to be more investment at professional and grassroots levels. After all, when you scroll through the illustrious players that have donned the Wales shirt, the likes of Jonathan Davies, Alun Wyn Jones and Sam Warburton spring to mind.
And Warburton was highly critical of Wales earlier on in the Six Nations, and he didn’t hold back with his views.
He said: “Honestly, I’m in disbelief sometimes when I watch international rugby at how many players do not choose the right shoulder, they just favour a shoulder and go with it.
“It’s something I think is under-coached. Being able to tackle on both shoulders is like being able to tackle on both hands. It should be a given for every player.”
Of course, Wales’ capitulation at the Six Nations would have come as shock to the bookmakers after their exploits in the Championship last year, as they won the title and the Triple Crown after beating all three home nation sides. There will have also been a lot of backing before the 2022 edition for England, especially at the likes of bet365 which regularly carry plenty of betting lines and outright markets for the Six Nations. Indeed, bet365 runs some great promotions for new players, and you can get involved if you use the bet365 bonus code that is available on the site.
There will be plenty of food for thought in the Wales camp after the Six Nations, and although the road back to redemption is a long one, it will be worth it if they can turn things around.
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