Six Nations 2024: Wales coach Warren Gatland casts doubts over regional reset

Wales coach Warren Gatland says Welsh rugby sometimes feels like a "sinking ship" and is not 100% convinced a much-needed regional reset will happen.

Gatland's Wales travel to face Ireland in the Six Nations this weekend with the nations in contrasting situations.

Wales have lost nine out of their last 10 matches in the tournament.

Ireland are aiming to be the first team to achieve back-to-back Six Nations era Grand Slams as they aim for an 11th successive win in the championship.

During Gatland's first stint in charge, between 2008 and 2019, Wales won four Six Nations titles and three Grand Slams and reached two World Cup semi-finals.

When asked what the difference between the Welsh and Irish systems was, Gatland replied: "I think they've just got the right structures in place.

"Probably if I look at the previous time I was here, we were kind of papering over the cracks of the things happening in Welsh rugby.

"We have got an opportunity for a reset, which unfortunately, I'm not 100% convinced we'll have a proper reset within our regions.

"It's probably felt sometimes like you're in a sinking ship and trying to plug the holes a little bit.

"So there's still lots of work for us. You definitely look at the Ireland central contracts and structures.

"It took a long time, but they have benefited from the performances of their provincial teams and 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."

Domestic contrasts

Ospreys won four league titles between 2005 and 2012 and have enjoyed Anglo-Welsh success alongside Cardiff, who claimed European Challenge Cup titles in 2010 and 2018.

Scarlets were the last Welsh league winners in 2017, while Irish provinces Leinster, Munster and Connacht have won the URC or Pro14 in the last decade. Leinster have also won multiple Champions Cup trophies.

Ospreys are sitting above three Irish provinces in the URC table this season, but there are three Welsh sides languishing in the bottom five of the league table.

Gatland said the regions must get things right off the field.

"I continue to speak about getting the right infrastructure, environment, strength and conditioning coaches, medical staff, quality coaches, training facilities, grounds and stuff," said Gatland.

"Forget about the players. Get that right and then you start building your squad. We've tended to do it the other way around, or a bit of 50-50.

"There's still lots of work for us to do. The only way we are going to do it as a group is if we work together and support each other.

"Everyone talks about the finances and I understand that. But it's making the right decisions.

"Is more money going to go on buying players or is the extra money going to be on fixing up the infrastructure, the facilities and quality people in your backroom team?"

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Gatland insisted a long-term plan must be established.

"There's always a short-term fix," said Gatland.

"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 and on the right people within your environment.

"Then start worrying about the players afterwards. That's what I'd be doing if I was at one of the regions.

"We've probably got to raise the levels, standards and expectation at regional level so when they come into us, the gap's not as big.

"We try to create a 'no excuses' environment by having the best people we can possibly have, to give them the best opportunity to develop and improve as players and best chance to perform on the weekend."

Gatland referred to a comment he says was made by Cardiff's new Wales flanker Alex Mann at a recent dinner with the national team's sponsors.

"He said 'I now know what a professional environment is like and what it should be like'," said Gatland.

"That's what we've got to encourage our regions to be like."