Worst Decision in a Long Line of Worst Decisions by the Worst Run Union.

Howley and McBryde signing new contracts until after 2019 is an absolutely shocking decision by the Worst Run Union in a very long time and is likely to set us back even further.

If Gatland gets the Lions job (hope he doesn't) then we'll see how bad a decision this is come the AIs and 6 Nations (and please don't say look at Howleys showing last time) bar for 30 minutes against England they were very poor overall including a first ever defeat to Japan.

Bedfordwelsh I agree. Shame really.

I said it after the RWC that Wales needed a change in coaching personnel. Nothing's changed.

The only silver lining is that after 2019, Dai Young might have done sufficiently well for Wasps to warrant being new Wales coach.

I reckon Gatland would vouch for them... if anything to make sure the WRU appreciate him more and offer him a fatter contract on his lions return.

Bedfordwelsh.

I see what you mean with regards to Howely and Mcbride. But i also think the WRU also made a mistake by extending Gatlands contract as well.

Yes Gatland has been good for Wales since he took over winning 2/3 Grandslams in as many years. Winning the Lions tour with mostly Welsh Players. But since then they Wales seemed to have stalled a little bit.

When England first got rid of Stuart Lancaster and brought in Eddie Jones. My first reaction was why? Why do England have to have a foreign coach?

But if you look at the transformation of the England team since EJ took over with mainly the same player's that was availible too Stuart Lancaster, Well the results speak for them selves.


What i am saying i think all the coaches in charge of the Welsh rugby have taken Wales as far as they can. It is time for a change of the whole coaching set up.

Overtaken on all sides, and the WRU say 'steady as she goes.'

I have just notice on bbc sport that the WRU are suggesting that ( GATLAND ) is a bit tired. and would benifit from taking a year out to coach the Lions next year.

why oh why? that is the question. Last time he took mainly Welsh player and yes " won".

Now if he is in charge " again" next year it is in NZ. Wales have been playing NZ this summer and have lost too them. So what make the WRU think he could win with the Lions in New Zealand?

The mind boggles.

So we have another 3 years with those clowns, and they are bringing back the Wales A team. I can see the need for an A team, but this will crucify the regions unless we play no games during the international Windows. Will that happen?

Is Gatland himself Ever going to Leave Wales?.... a fat contract again on his Lions return, suggests Fa.

Hmmm. Has he now cold feet about trying a new team somewhere else on the planet?

Ffs!

Even if Wales lost 100-0 on the weekend, does anyone think Gatland would be sacked?

SecretFly wrote:Is Gatland himself Ever going to Leave Wales?.... a fat contract again on his Lions return, suggests Fa.

Hmmm.  Has he now cold feet about trying a new team somewhere else on the planet?

I wonder if he's getting so far past his sell by date with Wales that its making him harder to sell...

well...that's a double edged sword, because now would be the time to 'buy'.

If Gatland hangs around much longer (and I'm only talking time here and the potential for rot) - the potential is that he and players will end up hating the sight of each other so much that... well it'll become a Kidney show where players practically just downed tools in the end in an attempt to create something new - as in new coach.

And when you're really down as a side, well it might be an attractive proposition for an ambitious new coach but, also, it might be a reason for a good coach to pass on the invitation and wait for something more to his liking.

Gatland has proven himself a great coach.  But time is time.  I think the idea of him and Wales is becoming stale.  Of course now they'll go on and beat the crap out of New Zealand in the final game.  Thus proving Gats is Gats - unique.

lostinwales wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Is Gatland himself Ever going to Leave Wales?.... a fat contract again on his Lions return, suggests Fa.

Hmmm.  Has he now cold feet about trying a new team somewhere else on the planet?

I wonder if he's getting so far past his sell by date with Wales that its making him harder to sell...

Not to a French club or super rugby franchise I bet. Rennie is top of the list for the all blacks job, I'd imagine that Gats would need to go home and coach the Chiefs first before going on to be NZ coach.

What worries me is by the end of their contracts Gats, Edwards and Howler would have been in charge for 12 years, and McBryde and Jenks would have been there even longer (14 years I think?). They will have seen a full generation from the very beginnings of their international career right through to the end.

As for the A-Team, I can't help but look at it as a bit of a waste of cash. The western fail ran one of their 'Information' stories on it, where they go through when the A-Team was last fielded, who has an A-team now, who we can expect to see playing for in it, when they will play etc. But that article had more 'we believe', 'maybe', 'potentially' and 'presumably' in it than most politicians have said in the news of late. Truth is the fixture list is over crowded and trying to shoe horn in more games is not going to help.

Edwards came out an ran down the Pro12 the other week. Surely it would be wiser for the union to work on improving the Pro12 (from a Welsh point of view) to ensure the regions are playing at test level tempo (or at least A-Team tempo) week in week out, rather than trying to bring players together for a week or two to play a meaningless fixture.

SecretFly wrote:If Gatland hangs around much longer... the potential is that he and players will end up hating the sight of each other

I genuinely wonder whether that point hasn't already been reached. This coaching team's been in place since 2007/8. That's a hell of a long time.

I don't advocate freshening things up and making changes for the sake of it, but we've been so samey for seasons now. Yes, we've seen a bit of ambition in attack in the last couple of games, but why has it taken so long for them to realise that bish bash bosh wasn't enough? It was clear to everyone else! It gives me little confidence that they'll know by half-time in a match what needs to be done differently in the second, if they're that painfully slow on the uptake.

Sadly with this outdated coaching set up we will "always be the bridesmaid", v SH opposition. We may win some 6N with exiting bish bash which every other coach has worked out. An opportunity missed to refresh an attacking and forward coach.

No surprise. The WRU lack leadership, vision and courage. This stale, out of date team will stumble through to the next WC when change will be forced and domestic rugby will be even worse than now.

I am of the opinion that change is sometimes for the best but this could be a case of be careful what ye wish for.


Gatland has overachieved with Wales. Is it more a case of the fans being bored of the same team, players and tactics? I probably would too if I was Welsh but the WRU are looking at full house attendance's, 6 nations wins, getting out of their world cup pool etc.

SecretFly wrote: ... well it'll become a Kidney show where players practically just downed tools in the end in an attempt to create something new - as in new coach.

BOD always had the knife out for Kidney. Shameful of him as he was captain.

Sin é wrote:

SecretFly wrote: ... well it'll become a Kidney show where players practically just downed tools in the end in an attempt to create something new - as in new coach.

BOD always had the knife out for Kidney. Shameful of him as he was captain.

He never liked his greens, did BOD. Yep, was always much more of a carnivore.

profitius wrote:I am of the opinion that change is sometimes for the best but this could be a case of be careful what ye wish for.


Gatland has overachieved with Wales. Is it more a case of the fans being bored of the same team, players and tactics? I probably would too if I was Welsh but the WRU are looking at full house attendance's, 6 nations wins, getting out of their world cup pool etc.

But if people are getting bored, then those full house attendances will wane, and you would expect the union to notice the vibe of their public.

That said, I honestly believe the retention of Howley, McBryde and Edwards was probably Gatland's choice, and they are a public target for when things go wrong. Which will deflect the blame from him to them, and on to the union that renewed their contracts.

profitius wrote:I am of the opinion that change is sometimes for the best but this could be a case of be careful what ye wish for.


Gatland has overachieved with Wales. Is it more a case of the fans being bored of the same team, players and tactics? I probably would too if I was Welsh but the WRU are looking at full house attendance's, 6 nations wins, getting out of their world cup pool etc.

Overachieved? Perhaps. GS wins in 08, 12 and a win in 13.  Very good, but the last 3 years have been poor.  As for two WC campaigns the only teams of note that Wales beat were Ireland and England, I don't call that overachievement.

Wales has lost 11 in a row against Australia, last beating them in 2008.  Gatland's Wales has faced South Africa 11 times, winning once. Hardly overachievement.  New Zealand, nine nil.  

Welsh fans aren't bored.  We have been poor for three years and getting worse with no visible signs of progress and no fresh thinking. Time to thank Gatland and his coaches and part company.

When I read overachieved I thought he was alluding to the fact that Gatland does well with pretty scarce resources, resources which are mostly underdeveloped by their welsh teams. It wouldn't be overachieved in the sense you're thinking because the team has good enough players - least that's what I took from it.

IMO, a very good article in this mornings Eastern Fail written by the former Welsh captain Gwyn Jones, basically he's saying that now that Warrenball has been discarded, it would have been an opportune time to freshen up the coaching staff, NOT extend the incumbents contracts. I think it would be hard to argue against such an eventuality.

In the light of this morning's wider news, reappointing Howley and McBryde looks almost like a good decision.

Two wrongs don't make a right!

Looks like the WRU voted to Leave, they made a good decision for once!