What ‘broken’ Wales need to do as legend Jonathan Davies reveals his ‘overriding emotion’ after Six Nations loss to England
Wales legend Jonathan Davies on team's current form.
Jonathan Davies claims all of rugby is “hurting” from the collapse of Wales as an international force and is urging the team he graced with such distinction to find a playing style which at least gives it a chance of stopping the rot.
Wales have not won a Six Nations match for three years. England stuck 48 points on them last weekend and did not get out of second gear. Next up are France, who won last year’s fixture 43-0.
“Seeing Wales lose game after game hurts me, but I think it hurts everyone who loves the sport,” said the cross-code legend, who will commentate for the BBC at the Principality Stadium on Sunday.
“Wales as a team and a country has brought so much to rugby. A strong Wales makes for a better Six Nations. I think we’d all agree it’s a much lesser competition given the current situation.”
Voting with their feet
Take away three meetings with Japan and the Dragons’ most recent scorelines read 14-68, 28-52, 26-52, 0-73 and 7-48: unimaginable for a country with four times as many Grand Slams than England since 2003.
The stadium won’t be anywhere near full on Sunday as fans, tired of bearing witness to unwanted history, vote with their feet.
“Having been on the field and been in that jersey I feel for the players, because there’s nowhere to hide out there,” added Davies, who wrote his name in Welsh rugby folklore by beating England on his debut with a man of the match performance.
“I looked at the boys at Twickenham last weekend and they looked broken in the second half. My overriding emotion was one of sadness.
“And now they have got France, who will be more clinical and more attack-wise from the set-piece than England.
“It is a tough, tough situation but the players and coaches can’t feel sorry for themselves, they have to do something about it. And that has to start by playing to their strengths.”
Against England, Davies contends, Wales emphatically failed to do that.
“We’re not a good enough side to go to Twickenham, actually anywhere at the minute, and not hit our lineouts and give that amount of penalties and territory away,” he said.
“We lack the power so we can’t just invite bigger, more powerful nations into our 22 expecting to get away without giving away points.
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“I don’t think England played particularly well. They didn’t have to work for anything. They didn’t build any pressure. They got their kicks, they got into the 22, then they scored. We didn’t make them work hard. We gave them easy platforms.”
Davies says Wales “need an identity” and points to previous Welsh teams, and indeed rival nations at this very moment in time, who are adapting to survive.
“Wales have been in similar positions before,” he continued. “Every time I played against England or France we were the lesser pack. We had to adapt and learn, find an identity to win games.
“Japan have to do that because they’ve never been big, Australia and New Zealand now are having to because they can’t compete with the physicality of South Africa. This is the challenge for Wales at the minute.
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“I’m looking at it going, ‘why haven’t we got big ball carriers in the back-row?’ You’ve got to pick people who are going to get you over the gain line. I’d have Ross Moriarty and Olly Cracknell if they’re fit.
“With slow ball it’s pointless having Ben Thomas, our most creative inside centre, at 12 because you’re playing on the back foot. We’ve got to play to our strengths. Eddie James should have been running over the top of George Ford at Twickenham.
“There used to be a time when you had the ball you were in control of the game and you’d worry defenders – not defenders worry the ball carrier.
“That’s what we’ve got to do now. We need to adapt, create an identity, do what we are good at – not try things we’re not good at.
Successful Gatland era
“In the successful times under Warren Gatland it wasn’t glamorous but, bloody hell, they were good at winning games and hard to beat because they were all big lads and played in a way that made that size and power tell.
“At Twickenham we didn’t get over the gain line. We didn’t have decoy runners, we didn’t fire a shot, because the game had gone, through a lack of discipline and no lineout ball.
“What I want to see this weekend is us stay in the game. For the players to come along, roll their sleeves up, keep possession, build pressure, play in the right areas and avoid yellow cards.
“Because no matter how good France can be, if they become frustrated, perhaps pick up a yellow or red card, things can change the other way.”