Gatland unconvinced by Welsh rugby reset after years of 'plugging holes on a sinking ship'

Wales head coach Warren Gatland.

WALES HEAD COACH Warren Gatland says he is “not 100% convinced” that Welsh regional rugby will undergo the proper reset he feels it requires.

Wales face runaway Six Nations title favourites Ireland in Dublin on Saturday – and the contrast between two long-standing rivals could hardly be greater.

On the field, Ireland have lost just two of their last 40 home Tests, while victory over Wales would see them equal England’s record of 11 successive Six Nations wins.

Wales, meanwhile, have lost nine of their last 10 Six Nations fixtures, and off the field it is a similar case of chalk and cheese.

Whereas Irish rugby is for the most part thriving, Wales’ four professional regions are each preparing for significant budget cuts that will take effect from next season.

Asked to assess the key difference between Irish and Welsh rugby, Gatland said: “I think they (Ireland) have just got the right structures in place.

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“Probably, if I look at the previous time I was here (between 2008 and 2019), we were kind of papering over the cracks of the things that were happening in Welsh rugby.

“We’ve got an opportunity for a reset, which unfortunately I’m not 100% convinced we will have a proper reset within our regions.

“It’s probably felt sometimes like you’re in a sinking ship and you’re trying to plug the holes a little bit. So there’s still lots of work for us to do.

“It took a long time (in Ireland), but that’s benefited from the performances of their provincial teams, which has transferred into their international team.

“We were probably the other way around. We were the reverse. Right now, we’re probably reflective of where our regions are. We’ve got to look at closing that gap.”

Gatland believes having the correct infrastructure at Wales’ four professional regions – Cardiff, Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons – is key.

“I continue to speak about infrastructure — getting the right infrastructure: the right environment, the right S&C coaches, medical staff, quality coaches, training facilities, grounds and stuff,” he added.

“Forget about the players. Get that (infrastructure) right, and then you start building your squad.

“We’ve tended to do it the other way around – or a bit of 50/50 – and then it just feels like you’re plugging up the holes of a sinking ship.

“The only way we’re going to do it as a group is if we work together and we support each other.

“Everyone talks about the finances, and I understand that, but it’s (about) making the right decisions.

“The short-term fix is to go and buy two or three players that might plug a couple of holes. But if we don’t think about the long-term benefit of the game and the infrastructure we’ve got, we’re just going to be behind the eight-ball continuously.

My advice to all the regions is don’t worry about players. If it means picking young players to your squad, make sure you spend the money on your facilities, make sure you spend the money on the right people within your environment.

On Saturday’s Aviva Stadium encounter, Gatland said: “There’s been a lot said about us being underdogs, but that’s not a motivation for us.

“The motivation is the pressure we’re putting on ourselves to get better from game one and two.

“We’ve spoken all week about having no fear to go there. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us, but you’ve got to embrace that, you’ve got to be excited about that.”