Six Nations 2023: Where does Welsh rugby go from here?

Where does Welsh rugby go from here? It’s been a regular question lately and is back on topic after another disastrous week.

Sport in Wales made headlines for all the wrong reasons when the national team threatened a strike against England over contract issues.

Such drastic measures were avoided, but given the preparation, Warren Gatland’s men were perhaps predictably overwhelmed and outclassed in a 20-10 loss to Steve Borthwick’s side.

As Wales bolster the six-nation table, we wonder how it got to this point.

More importantly, what’s the way out of this latest and perhaps most damaging Welsh rugby crisis?

Facts and numbers sometimes don’t tell the story. In this situation, however, they do.

Let’s lay out some bloody Welsh rugby stats.

England’s defeat was their 12th in 15 games, a streak dating back to the days of Wayne Pivac.

It was the Six Nations’ third straight defeat, making Wales their worst start to the tournament since 2007.

Wales have not been glossed over since Steve Hansen’s class of 2003 met that fate, but a repeat is now a realistic prospect.

Wales meet Italy in Rome on March 11 for the potential Wooden Spoon decider before taking on France seven days later in Paris.

England emulated Ireland and overcame Wales by their widest margin since 2003, while Scotland clinched a record 35-7 win in the Murrayfield match.

This is also the first year since 2003 that Wales have not won a Six Nations home game at a tournament.

Wales have now fallen to 10th in the world rankings, having held that position in 2007 and 2013.

Next month they could drop out of the top 10 for the first time. Grim reading across the board.

In Gatland’s first spell, between 2007 and 2019, you could usually tell what his side looked like and represented.

It didn’t always have the success that people selectively remember, but you knew the rough-and-ready staff he picked reinvented several pages.

Judging by his three selections since his return, Gatland is looking for his strongest side, or perhaps more importantly, the team he hopes to field in September’s World Cup opener against Fiji.

What we’ve seen is a mix and match, as Gatland has over-30s like Ken Owens, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau, George North, Liam Williams and Leigh Halfpenny with early-20s Christ Tshiunza , Dafydd, Balances Jenkins, Tommy Reffell, Jac Morgan, Joe Hawkins and Mason Grady. In the age group in between there is not much.

Five moves from Ireland to Scotland and nine more for the England encounter show Gatland are still in the hunt for their first choice.

His post-England comments suggest he will look for cohesion and continuity rather than experimentation against Italy.

The identity crisis is not just limited to the player staff, the coaching appointments are also under scrutiny.

The well-known figures of Rob Howley, whose re-appointment was blocked by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) board, and Shaun Edwards are no longer alongside Gatland.

He’s brought in a new defensive coach in Mike Forshaw, a man he’d never met before, with Wales conceding 12 tries in three games.

Under new attacking coach Alex King, Wales have managed just three tries in three games, including an interception and a goal from a rolling maul.

Playing style and tactics are also put to the test. The old term ‘Warrenball’, used to describe the playing style of Wales in Gatland’s first reign, angered the New Zealander, but it was based on big ball-carrying defenders like Jamie Roberts who took the team past the line with the game – plan to break away from to develop from there.

Wales’ kicking tactics against England, where they regularly found full-back Freddie Steward, came under scrutiny.

The tactics seemed wrong and the inability to change them on the field worrisome.

It was always a gamble for Gatland when he decided to return for a second spell in Wales, replacing fellow countryman Pivac in December 2022.

Gatland’s status was secure after his first 12-year stint in Wales, which included three Grand Slams, four Six Nations titles and two World Cup semi-finals.

Welsh rugby was in turmoil when Gatland returned late last year and it has not improved since.

Now, for the first time as a Welsh manager, he has lost three straight Six Nations games and is staring down the barrel of a tournament whitewash.

Borthwick followed Ireland boss Andy Farrell and Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend to defeat their former British and Irish Lions boss.

So, for all his trophies and Lions success, Gatland is struggling.

Revitalizing this ailing Welsh team ahead of the World Cup later this year would perhaps be his greatest achievement.

Gatland has repeatedly stated that he believes he can transform the squad with the few months he has with them ahead of the global tournament. There will definitely be a lot to do.

England’s defeat was perhaps inevitable given the turbulent preparation, as concessions were made on both sides to ensure play continued.

Major long-term issues remain surrounding professional football in Wales and the future of its regional players.

Player contract offers have been frozen, with the long-term future of the players uncertain as more than 70 are without deals beyond this season.

Negotiations have been underway for a new six-year funding framework with Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets, with the regions receiving official documents last week.

Ken Owens is one of the few personalities to emerge from the recent sad saga of Welsh rugby, with the captain proving pivotal in player negotiations.

Owens spoke of everyone working together to ensure Welsh rugby is not a laughing stock again.

Whether Walker’s comments, made before millions of viewers on national television on Saturday, will antagonize the fractious relationship between the WRU and the regions remains to be seen.

Walker has proven to be a beacon of regret since stepping into his interim role following Steve Phillips’ retirement.

He has apologized to players and former WRU staff who have accused the governing body of having a toxic and sexist culture, and claims are being investigated by an independent taskforce.

Walker will require that diplomatic approach again with the small matter of an extraordinary general meeting on March 26, where major government changes will be on the agenda.

The final whitewash of the Six Nations in Wales was followed by the regional rugby revolution. Whether there will be similar seismic shifts in the domestic game soon remains to be seen.

Before that, Wales are in dire need of a win somewhere, but form suggests Italy will be favorites at the Stadio Olimpico.

They huddled Ireland and France close in Rome but would have always targeted Wales’ visit as they seek their first Six Nations home win since 2013.

Memories of last season’s Cardiff clash will be fresh for both sides as Italy broke their seven-year, 36-game Six Nations streak with a surprising late win.

Wales suffered defeats in the Italian capital in 2003 and 2007 and there are similarities between those campaigns and this one.

Gatland will be determined to ensure that the list of Welsh defeats in Rome next month is not extended.

Should he fail in that quest, ask yourself where would Welsh rugby go?