The general consensus was that Wales’ defence of their Six Nations title was over before their tournament had even got underway against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin last weekend. A list of absentees as long as your arm, with key players like captain Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Ken Owens and George North all ruled out, meant that Wayne Pivac’s mean were unfavoured in the 6 Nations odds and were always facing an uphill battle.
Alas, the Dragons were left with their tails between their legs in the Irish capital — with Andy Farrell’s men picking up a bonus point victory over Wales in a nothing more than expected 29-7 drubbing at the Aviva. The fact that it was no real surprise that Ireland ran the defending champions ragged would have taken the edge off a bit for the passionate Welsh fans, but after enjoying so much success in the last decade or so, they certainly won’t want to be left with that bitter taste of defeat after every round of this year’s Championship.
With expectations surrounding Welsh rugby at an all-time high, especially after last year’s victory from left of field, the fans won’t allow their hefty injury list to be used as an excuse week-in, week-out for the remainder of the Six Nations. Yes, making the trip to Ireland with over 700 caps worth of experience missing against a side on an eight-game win streak, was always likely going to end badly. But Wales can’t let their fire burn out that easily.
While the outside world had acknowledged Wales’ defeat at the hands of a truly scary Ireland side before kick-off, at times during the game it felt like the Welsh camp had also accepted their fate and, in return, perhaps didn’t have the right mindset, drive and determination to really take the game to Ireland and make things slightly more difficult for Farrell’s men in their own backyard. Ultimately, they were as predictable as it was expected they would be.
At this stage it’s worth noting that, despite their injuries, Wales’ starting 15 actually had more caps (487) than Ireland’s (468). So, we suppose that is only further evidence that Pivac’s constant injury-stricken squad excuses will only be accepted for so much longer. In many ways, it really does feel an excuse now — a way to paper over the cracks in Welsh rugby’s foundations.
The more avid followers will be well aware that Wales’ Six Nations success last year was, in fact, only a rare purple patch in Pivac’s tenure as head coach. The harsh reality is that they are a far cry from being the best side in the tournament. Wales have won just 10 of the New Zealander’s 23 games in charge over the course of the last two years and he could be really feeling the pressure if they can’t mount some kind of run this year.
Up next is Scotland, who are hot off the back of back-to-back Championship wins over England, and Gregor Townsend’s men will be well up for the task as everyone seems to be questioning their consistency. But while Wales might not be as favoured in the Six Nations tips, having fans back in the Principality Stadium could help spur them on against the Scots and save their blushes.
With Wales then travelling to Twickenham before hosting France, the last thing they will want is to be playing Italy for the infamous Wooden Spoon in Cardiff in round 5. Their title defence is over, if you could say it ever got started, but there is still plenty of time to save some of their dignity before the Six Nations concludes next month.
