Warren Gatland has never been one to back down, but even he must realise time is running out. A record 14th consecutive Test defeat has left Wales staring down the barrel of a disastrous Six Nations campaign, with pressure mounting on the head coach.
Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!
No Quick Fix for Wales’ Woes
His side were guilty of 15 handling errors—compared to Italy’s four—and handed the hosts eight penalty kicks. The most damning moment came when Wales inexplicably fumbled over the Italian tryline twice in the opening 40.
Gatland insists these errors are ‘easily fixed‘, but results suggest otherwise. Injuries haven’t helped either—Liam Williams and Dafydd Jenkins were ruled out on the eve of the match—but even with a depleted squad, the selection calls have caused debate.
Wyn Jones, Dillon Lewis, and Tomas Francis—all vastly experienced props—were left at home. So too were Gareth Anscombe, Jarrod Evans, Max Llewellyn, and Rio Dyer. At a time when Wales desperately need stability, the chopping and changing has only added to the turmoil.
A Rugby Empire in Ruins?
The Stadio Olimpico had never been a losing venue for Wales, yet history was rewritten in Rome. If there was ever a moment for the Welsh Rugby Union to take action, this might have been it. The Triple Crown remains a mathematical possibility, but right now, avoiding the Wooden Spoon is the real battle.
There’s no sign that Gatland will walk away. He never has before, and his second spell in charge was supposed to restore Wales’ status as a rugby powerhouse. Instead, they’re falling to new lows.
WRU Holding Fire—For Now
RUCK understands that the WRU has already spoken to Gatland, but no rash decisions will be made. As it stands, he is expected to remain in charge until the end of the 2025 Six Nations.
But unless something changes—and fast—his days at the helm could be numbered.
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Six players who flopped in the Six Nations today – “Miles off it”
Six Nations Saturday saw plenty of drama, but not every player rose to the occasion. While Italy stunned Wales and England edged past France, these six players had performances they’d rather forget.
#1. Antoine Dupont (France)
Rugby Pass 5/10: “By Antoine Dupont’s insuperable standards, this was not vintage. Controlled the game with both feet and mixed his kicking to keep Marcus Smith guessing. But he had a few sloppy passes in him, including a hospital pass to Alexandre Roumat. Looked to be in for a certain try soon after, but spilt a pass with the try line beckoning. Had the ball ripped from his clutches by Tom Curry just metres from England’s line early in the second 40. Not too bad by a normal player’s standards, but for Dupont, this was quite error-strewn. There were, of course, still moments of pure genius.”
Mail Online 6/10: “He’s human after all. Not immune to French tension and far from imperious best but arcing run set up one try and long passes helped create two others.”
#2. Josh Adams (Wales)
RUCK 3/10: “After hitting a milestone last timeout against France, Adams probably was looking for a much better performance than last week in Paris. He did have two opportunities from kicks in behind but, again, didn’t see much of the ball. The 29-year-old was also awarded a yellow card on 58 minutes for making contact with Paolo Garbisi’s head, perhaps he can count himself lucky that it wasn’t a red.”
Planet Rugby 4/10: “Looked pretty threatening throughout, but just blew two huge opportunities that could have swung the game back to Wales, and you think he would have nabbed these a few years ago. Lucky to escape a red card too for his challenge on Paolo Garbisi.”
Wales Online 4/10: “Butchered two try-scoring opportunity by spilling the ball forward with the line at his mercy, albeit in difficult conditions. Received a yellow card for a cynical high shot on Paolo Garbisi.”
