State of the Nation: Warren Gatland ‘witnesses’ the ‘destruction of his empire’ but Wales stars show there is still ‘some fight in the dog’
Head coach Warren Gatland and an insert of Wales star Dewi Lake.
Following the conclusion of their 2024 Autumn Nations Series, we update you on the state of the participating nations. Next up, it’s Warren Gatland’s Wales.
The best part of Wales’ 2024 international season, and with it the November Tests, is that it is over.
After going winless and collecting the Wooden Spoon in the Six Nations before getting hammered by the Springboks and losing twice to Australia in July, there was not much hope for Gatland’s men.
It was a shambolic start to the year and not at all aided by the controversies off the field with the Welsh regions’ budgets slashed again.
Autumn Nations Series summary
Any remaining hope of a record losing streak being avoided quickly diminished as Gatland’s men fell to a 10th straight Test defeat and first to Fiji at home. What made matters worse was not just the loss but the manner in which they suffered it as the Fijians were simply the better team. The Pacific Islanders managed to score a try even when they were playing 13v14 and would go on to play the rest of the match without their star man Semi Radradra who was red carded.
It was a stark indication of how far Wales have fallen since the Rugby World Cup as they fell to a 24-19 defeat to the same team that they defeated 32-26 at the tournament in France last year. What has to be factored into the result too is the amount of time the Fijians would have spent together as a full squad after all their star men based in the UK and Europe missed the opening game against Scotland before jetting in for the game in Cardiff.
Matters just got worse from there as it was almost as if Wales were bleeding after the Fijians hit an artery as the following week Gatland’s men were put to the sword by a fired-up Wallabies outfit who ran in eight tries. This, after relatively tight games Down Under just five months prior.
Australia also lost a key attacking threat in the backline in the form of Samu Kerevi but it mattered little as the men in Gold and Green tore Wales to shreds. After the match, Gatland – a man renowned for his confidence, stubbornness and strong will – looked a defeated man, void of the bullishness he had the week prior when defending his position which summed up the general feel. Once the emperor of a mighty Welsh team, he was witnessing the destruction of his empire.
With the flames rising around him, Gatland had to gather his army of inexperienced and baby-faced soldiers and throw them back into the arena once more and this time against the best in the world with the Springboks arriving in Cardiff. The cliche among sporting fans is that ‘it is the hope that kills you’ but thankfully for Wales this time, there was no hope of beating the world champions even amongst the most optimistic of diehard fans. It was almost liberating as they had a free shot to show they cared, with almost no pressure on the result.
They were already on a record losing streak and there was no shame in losing to a team ranked 10 places higher. To their credit, Wales put up a fight for the full 80 minutes, highlighted not only by the fact that they scored the final try of the game but with four players racking up 20-plus tackles. It was a stubborn performance and a brave one. They were outclassed and were always going to be but they needed to show that there was still fight in the dog, belief in the coaching team and pride in the jersey. All things considered, they delivered even if the scoreline does not show that.
Standout players
It’s that time of a four-year cycle when the debates rage on who will make the British and Irish Lions tour, and on recent tours many of the men in Welsh red have been frontrunners for starting roles, never mind just claiming a place on the plane. But considering the fact that Gatland has relinquished the head coach role and Wales’ results in recent times, the conversation is entirely different.
However, there are a handful of stars who will fancy their chances and none more so than the man who donned the number two jersey through the autumn, Dewi Lake. The Welshman was a shining light in a dark period of the national team and has all the makings of a world-class hooker if he isn’t one already. He’s a titan on defence, an abrasive ball carrier and a solid set-piece operator – a facet of the game he is improving on with each passing match. Wales need players to build their team around and Lake is clearly one of them.
While he didn’t produce quite the same level of box-office performances, Jac Morgan certainly put his hand up to be another one of the players Gatland can centre his rebuild around. He wasn’t at his best in the opening two games but was superb against the Springboks as he chopped down the big South African bodies, making a mind-boggling 27 tackles, one turnover and beating four defenders from 10 carries.
Newbies Blair Murray and Tom Rogers had flashes of brilliance this July and showed that there is certainly talent out wide after Louis Rees-Zammit’s departure to chase his NFL dream. This is not forgetting Josh Hathaway who also impressed against the Springboks.
Finally, Archie Griffin made good strides forward before he was emphatically put into reverse by his clubmate Thomas du Toit in his final outing, ending his game early. It was a tough lesson for the young tighthead to learn as he was yanked off the pitch before half-time but, frankly, there were so many of those tough lessons for Welsh players across the board.
Warren Gatland ‘motivated’ to be Wales boss but outlines ‘no-win situation’ regarding future
Success story
There is some clutching at straws here looking for the positives in a dire campaign but the fact that the Principality was still packed to the rafters and in full voice for the final game of the year against the Springboks proves that there is still a huge appetite for rugby in Wales.
After a disastrous year, it was the silver lining in a miserable grey cloud. The public cheered on the men in red as they valiantly tried their best to stop the waves and waves of attack from the Boks. It was almost a sign of acceptance from the public of where this team is at and a message to the players that they have the backing of the fans. That patience will be tested next year.
Main regret
Fiji. It was the game that many believed could have ended the losing streak, but Gatland’s men were not up to the task and again fell short. The red card to Radradra gave them a boost but they lacked the ruthless edge to capitalise on it. They started the game well racing into a 14-3 lead but it fell apart quickly and the Pacific Islanders took full advantage.
Losing three on the trot in front of your home crowd will be a major regret too. The pressure now shifts to the Six Nations.
Results
Wales v Fiji (Fiji won 19-24)
Wales v Australia (Australia won 20-52)
Wales v South Africa (South Africa won 12-45)
