Six Nations 2024: How do you solve a problem like Welsh rugby?

They said it would be a difficult Six Nations campaign for Wales. They were right. Quite how difficult and traumatic it would turn out to be, few might have predicted.

Wales suffered the embarrassment of a first Six Nations Wooden Spoon since 2003 after Italy posted a 24-21 victory in Cardiff, with head coach Warren Gatland saying it felt as though Welsh rugby had hit rock bottom.

Wales finished bottom of the table as they suffered five defeats in one Six Nations tournament for the first time in 21 years.

The sight of modern-day legend George North being carried off injured in his final international appearance and forlorn young captain Dafydd Jenkins bravely fronting up in a television interview were enduring images.

Short-term pain for long-term gain. That is how the reset of Welsh rugby has been billed. The first part is definitely apt. Whether the second part will follow remains questionable.

Principality Stadium is no fortress

While Gatland has pleaded for patience as he continues an extensive post-World Cup rebuilding job, stark statistics cannot be avoided.

Wales have lost 12 of the past 13 Six Nations matches. The most concerning thing is a run of seven successive Six Nations home defeats, with two on the bounce to Italy.

Opposition sides used to fear coming into the Cardiff cauldron. Now they arrive at the Principality Stadium expecting to win. More often than not, they do.

The ground has played host to some memorable Welsh rugby moments, with Six Nations title triumphs and Grand Slam glory topping that list.

Recently though, the Cardiff venue has seemingly lost its aura. There have been 14 losses and one draw in the past 21 capped internationals at home, with victories against only Canada, Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Argentina and England in full internationals during that sequence.

The atmosphere remains among world rugby's finest, but opponents are no longer fazed by what awaits them. The supporters will keep coming, for now.

Watching a small minority of fans leave after half-time and a half-hearted second-half Mexican Wave going around the ground while Italy were winning 18-0 were among the most depressing sights of a sorry campaign.

The Cardiff mood was in stark contrast to five years ago when Wales stormed to the Six Nations title and a Grand Slam by crushing Ireland. That 2019 success seems a lifetime ago.

Has Gatland lost his touch?

Gatland revealed following the Italy defeat he had offered his resignation to Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Abi Tierney after the final whistle. He says that offer was turned down.

Gatland consistently says international rugby is about results. If his predecessor Wayne Pivac had overseen anything like the dismal display against Italy, he would have been castigated.

Gatland is contracted until the 2027 World Cup, having returned for a second spell as Wales head coach in December 2022.

When he accepted the advances from the WRU to replace Pivac, Gatland knew there was always a danger that he might damage the memory of his first stint in charge.

The challenge for the 60-year-old will be to prove he has the hunger and interest for the rebuild. Wales have enjoyed plenty of glory days over the past two decades, many of them under Gatland.

The Kiwi was in charge from 2007 to 2019, when Wales won four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and reached two World Cup semi-finals.

Since he returned, Gatland has won only one of 10 Six Nations matches, against Italy in Rome last year.

His overall record during his second spell is six wins in 18 games, with four of those victories coming in the World Cup last year, where Gatland steered Wales into the quarter-finals before losing to Argentina.

That performance demonstrated he could improve a side after having preparation time.

The worrying element of this Six Nations campaign was the lack of development, from the team that gave Scotland a 27-point start in the opening game to the team that delivered one of the poorest performances in living memory against the Italians.

Golden generation has gone

A raft of senior players have retired in this past year and this new generation has predictably come up well short at Test level.

Gatland has lost a lot of experience with the retirements of Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar, Josh Navidi, Leigh Halfpenny and now North.

Liam Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Tomas Francis, Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, Christ Tshiunza and Dewi Lake have been unavailable for this campaign because of injury or club commitments. Most coaches would find these departures challenging.

In certain positions, Gatland's policy has been to blood young players like Mackenzie Martin, Alex Mann, Cameron Winnett and Evan Lloyd with the 2027 World Cup in mind rather than selecting more established players.

Gatland will likely look at his own performance with regards to tactics and gameplan, and whether he should have used players like Mason Grady and Will Rowlands more. Those two made only one start between them.

His backroom staff will also be reviewed, with the attack game under Alex King generally falling short during the tournament, while the set-piece - which is on Jonathan Humphreys' watch - remains a concern.

Life is not about to get any easier for Gatland or his players. Their next game is against world champions South Africa in June, followed by a two-Test tour of Australia.

System failures

Chief executive Abi Tierney (centre), executive director of rugby Nigel Walker (left) and chair Richard Collier-Keywood (right) are the people charged with improving Welsh rugby

All this is taking place while the Welsh rugby system is broken and needs fixing. The spotlight deserves to be more on the powerbrokers who have overseen the recent demise of the Welsh game at so many levels. Wales players and supporters have been let down.

The under-20s lose more games than they win, while regional rugby is struggling with the four sides languishing in the bottom half of the United Rugby Championship.

Ospreys are the only Welsh professional side to beat a non-Welsh team in 2024.

The last time Wales received the Wooden Spoon there was transformational change, with the club system replaced by five regional professional teams, which was eventually reduced to four with the demise of the Celtic Warriors.

Whether a further cull to three, or even two, is required to streamline the talent within Wales will be debated. That possibility is fraught with danger over identity as fans would be asked to support new teams.

If four teams are maintained, they must somehow be funded properly, a challenge in the modern-day financial world.

The 25-cap law will also be reviewed. The policy only allows players who have 25 caps or more to go and play for clubs outside of Wales while remaining eligible for the national team - although there are caveats, too many some would argue.

Players have recently been queuing up to say the policy should be scrapped but its defenders claim it keeps young stars in Wales and gives the national side maximum preparation time.

Food for thought for Tierney and chair Richard Collier-Keywood, who so far have offered only generic words about the future of Welsh rugby.

What we need to see now is action from the pair and executive director of rugby Nigel Walker. Difficult decisions have to be made.

Tierney came into her new role in January, backed by a new-look WRU board, and promised an overall strategy would be announced by June.

The fact there is not a current plan sums up the sorry mess Welsh rugby finds itself in on and off the pitch.

This pain Welsh rugby is experiencing now will only be worth it if it leads to that long-term gain.

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