Warren Gatland's optimism is misplaced - Wales remain a long way behind
Wales once again laid bare their own frailties which have been exposed in a four-match series that, in reality, has done them very few favours
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Your support makes all the difference.Warren Gatland spoke optimistically about his side’s Six Nations prospects after seeing them limp past the worst South African team of the post-Apartheid era but his assertion Wales have progressed this autumn seemed hollow at best.
In a game which ebbed, flowed and entertained but completely lacked precision, gravitas and serious Test-match dog, Gatland’s men came perilously close to throwing away an 18-point lead they had taken with almost alarming ease in an opening 33 minutes which made a mockery of South Africa’s proud rugby heritage.
By allowing the wounded Springboks even the slightest foothold in the game, Wales once again laid bare their own frailties which have been exposed in a four-match Under Armour series which, in reality, has done them very few favours.
Injuries will ensure Gatland’s men face Scotland at the Principality Stadium on February 3 without their best back, Jonathan Davies (foot), and their best forward, Sam Warburton (neck), but the combinations Gatland had hoped would evolve over the past four months remain in their infancy.
Hadleigh Parkes at least made his case to wear the No12 jersey on Saturday, scoring two first-half tries which saw him named man-of-the-match on his debut, on the same day the New Zealand born centre qualified for Wales on residency grounds.
But it would be hard to get too carried away about Wales midfield with Gatland trying four different centre partnerships in four Tests, in part due to injury and unavailability, in a month of international rugby which provided more questions than answers.
While Scotland and Ireland both finished their three-Test autumn buoyed by clear evidence of progress while England can also feel a sense of a job well done after three Test wins from three, Wales scraped home against tier two Georgia and an abject South Africa while being comprehensively beaten by Australia and New Zealand.
“We will do a review with the coaches on Tuesday in terms of the campaign and then start thinking about the Six Nations and planning for that,” said Gatland. “It is a competition so you want to go out there and do your best. With where all the teams are, it’s going to be one of the closest Six Nations that we have had for a long time.
“A lot of people are talking up other teams and long may that continue from our point of view.”
While Gatland and his coaching team will rightly take comfort from the knowledge they have blooded several young players while contending with the absence of at least six first-choice players through injury, there is absolutely no guarantee they will be even close to a full strength by the time the Six Nations arrives.
Thanks to the WRU’s financially-driven decision to shoehorn an extra Test into the window, Wales players must now drag themselves back to their feet and go again for their respective clubs and regions with back-to-back European Champions Cup weekends over the coming fortnight.
Throw in a packed Pro14 schedule over Christmas and more European action in January and there is every chance Wales will actually be in an even worse physical state by early February. Player welfare anyone?
Parkes arrival was unquestionably a late bonus while winger Hallam Amos has also enjoyed an excellent autumn which saw him produce another fine display against Allister Coetzee’s horribly disjointed Springboks.
But, despite a couple of reasonably solid contributions at inside centre by Owen Williams, Gatland can be no clearer on his best midfield combination in the long-term absence of the hugely influential Davies.
“Given where we are in terms of the amount of injuries and the inexperience we put out, I think we are in a good place at the moment,” Gatland said. “We have worked on the way we want to play and looked at some different combinations, a 10-12 slightly different combination as well. So I am pleased where we are.”
Perhaps, but while the focus has largely been on the midfield, it is actually up front where Wales’ lack of depth has been most cruelly exposed and where an even partially organised South African side should have taken them to the cleaners.
For the third time in four Tests, Wales scrummage was close to shambolic on Saturday and will need urgent attention before the Six Nations. The continued absence of former British Lions hooker Richard Hibbard remains a complete mystery while so much is being asked of veteran lock Alun Wyn Jones it would be nothing short of a miracle if he makes it through the season unscathed. The back-up, as evidenced against Georgia, is nowhere near up to speed.
Two wins from four could have been worse. But it should have been so much better. Despite what Gatland may say, Wales have a lot of ground to make up.
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