Welsh traditions

One of the old Welsh traditions is to sack their coach in World Cup year. Recently the post World Cup route has been favoured and that seems the most likely option this time. My question then is what will happen to Gatland?

He is very likely to be sacked if Wales underperform in the world cup, or even if they fail to win a warm up match, he is failing to really do anything useful with the welsh squad at the moment.

Well seeing that he was given an extention to his concract to take Wales on to the next RWC.

I personaly think that if Wales do bad in the RWC, then Gatland will. first of all try and talk his way out of it, say it was not his fault.

Secondly i think if he does not walk out by himself, then the WRU will have to sack him...But i dont think the WRU will have the nerve to sack him to be honest.

Well seeing that he was given an extention to his concract to take Wales on to the next RWC.

I personaly think that if Wales do bad in the RWC, then Gatland will. first of all try and talk his way out of it, say it was not his fault.

Secondly i think if he does not walk out by himself, then the WRU will have to sack him...But i dont think the WRU will have the nerve to sack him to be honest.

majesticimperialman wrote:Well seeing that he was given an extention to his concract to take Wales on to the next RWC.

I personaly think that if Wales do bad in the RWC, then Gatland will. first of all try and talk his way out of it, say it was not his fault.

Secondly i think if he does not walk out by himself, then the WRU will have to sack him...But i dont think the WRU will have the nerve to sack him to be honest.

How not? The WRU have had no problem sacking other coaches. You do know his contract has a load of clauses in it anyway right?

Honestly I think Gatland will be there for next years six nations. I think we will get to the quarters so he will stay.

Yesterday was an odd game really, none of the front 5 are first choice or even second choice really and thats where Wales problems stemmed yesterday. without a solid setpiece there was no control. when we did get some good ball we did ok. In the WC we should have enough strength in the set piece to beat samoa and fiji, if we play smart and dont throw it around again. Namibia is a game we can win and give some of the first team regulars a rest. SA is a game we can win but probably wont.

Hopefully Gatland will add to the backroom staff because if he stays that needs a shake up.

The five individual players are fine in their own right

1 ::'':: 2 ::;;::
__((;;____((''
___::_____::

The front five with one tall and one short second row. Either they adjust so that they support the front row (2) in which case the number 8 can't contribute. Or (1) they disrupt the front row, but the benefit of the 8 being able to push is outweighed. What happens ou course is that Charteris has to arch his back causing a weakness at the heart of the scrum.

International coaches my bum!

I actually dont think that Gatland is a bad manager. I have always believed that there are far too many ex professionals in Wales always saying how much better a job they could do as opposed to any manager. That puts huge pressure on a manager.

It boils down to the world cup. If Wales bomb it'll all be Gatlands fault and he'll be sacked within hours of the final whistle being blown at Wales last match. If they do well, however, they'll hang onto him assuming he'll get Wales through another GS in the 2012 Six Nations. I agree with Eirebilly on the pressure Welsh managers get. It's as bad as English football managers.

When you come to think of it Cari, the Welsh managers position is almost identical to that of his English footballs counterpart. Nice one

I think if we do badly he might stay for 1 more 6N - However, Howley will be done for.

Eirebilly and Cari, I'll second you both and agree! I've never thought about the comparison before but they're very similar between the Wales rugby coach and England football manager: both in charge of the national sports, both nations mad about the sport, both nations believing we're better than we really are, both living off past glories, etc.

In fact we both like to play the 'Welsh (rugby)/English (football) way' with free flowing play but more recently we both lack creativity and flair with the opposition seeming to have worked us out and to have moved on in terms of tactics and play. Interesting!

Roger Lewis is smitten with Warren Gatland, absolutely smitten. We would have to have a shocking World Cup for him to get rid of Gatland - and even then, he'd be gutted at having to do it.

Leave the Poles out of this, they have nothing to do with Wales' poor management

My biggest concern is Shaun Edwards our defence has taken a few steps backward since the 2008 Grand Slam.
He was willing to take the credit for Wales excellent defence during the 2008 six nations even though he had only been with the squad for a very short time.
If he was willing to take the credit then he must also take some criticism for the fact that we seem clueless defensively on far too many occasions.

I don't think Gatland is the problem. I think Sean Edwards and Rob Howley are the problems. I guess Gatland keeps them there but they are directly responsible for the areas in which we're failing. Forwards have actually improved quite a lot under Mcbride, although he struggled to make them competative at first.

We need a better attack coach. simple as that. Rob Howley doesn't seem to be up to it...

I think he will scape goate McBryde and Howley and then continue leading us down the wrong route before getting axed a year before the next (2015) RWC

DaDubs1 wrote:Leave the Poles out of this, they have nothing to do with Wales' poor management

5*

mckay1402 wrote:I don't think Gatland is the problem. I think Sean Edwards and Rob Howley are the problems. I guess Gatland keeps them there but they are directly responsible for the areas in which we're failing. Forwards have actually improved quite a lot under Mcbride, although he struggled to make them competative at first.

We need a better attack coach. simple as that. Rob Howley doesn't seem to be up to it...

I'm not his biggest fan but Gatland determines the tactics so how can you blame Howley? If you had Eddie O Sullivan, one of the best backs coaches around in and gave him Gatlands gameplan to work off, he'd be tearing his hair out.

For Gatland the forwards are 1-9 and 12-15. If he hadn't have had Shane Williams you could include 11. 10 is not a forward because he kicks.

yeah ok fair point. too much aimless kicking and not enough go forward. also when someone does make a break where are the supporting runners to offload to? I noticed Faletau made a couple of half breaks at the weekend but nobody was on his shoulder to take a pass and continue the move so the breakdown occured which allowed the baa baas to distrupt and turn ball over.