You would be forgiven for thinking that the appointment of Warren Gatland in 2022 to return to his beloved Wales was a shrewd and excellent decision at the time. Gatland is arguably one of the greatest coaches of all time and has lead teams to success wherever he has gone, not just the Welsh national team. After a period of Wayne Pivac in charge and considerable failure, Gatland is trying to bring Welsh rugby back into title contention, where it has been for so many years before. However, after a fifth place finish in his first Six Nations campaign back and only one win, ‘Gats’ return may be harder than it initially appeared. Further highlighted by Wales’ first loss to Scotland in Cardiff for twenty two years, there is a need for a change of tactics and a significant revamp of how this Welsh side operates on the pitch.
Whilst Wales’ comeback on Saturday was remarkable despite falling just short, the first half was one of the worst played in the national team’s history. Gatland described how it was ‘probably one of the worst 40-minute performances in my whole rugby career as a coach.’ as he spoke to S4C in an interview after the match. Wales’ discipline was immensely poor and many unforced errors caused the first half to be a complete disaster. The set piece was executed badly and Scotland were given many opportunities, which they took with open arms. A brace of tries from Duhan van der Merwe and a score by Pierre Schoeman saw Scotland create a 27-0 lead within 43 minutes. Given Scotland have always had a torrid time at the Principality Stadium, this type of lead was unprecedented and the Scots will have been surging full of confidence. The Welsh tactics to try and break down this impressive Scottish team were completely wrong. Whether this was due in part to the youthful Welsh team, they did not adapt to Scotland’s game plan and attack their weaknesses.
However, the second half was simply incredible. The first half game plan was thrown completely out of the window. Tomos Williams injected a serious amount of pace into the Welsh attack and they played with a newfound freedom. It was remarkable as this was a turnaround in the rugby that they were playing in the first half but questions still remain: why did Wales not play this way in the first half? Perhaps the Scots were stunned by how easy it was to gain a big lead and became complacent or Wales simply adopted a ‘do or die’ attitude and decided to throw everything they had at Scotland. Many will think that Wales’ comeback was due to Scotland’s poor discipline and the yellow cards they received but Wales were able to put Scotland under so much pressue that they forced the Scottish players to make those cynical plays.
This much is clear though. Gatland needs to find the balance between the free-flowing second half performance and structured rugby that is so vital to challenge the likes of Ireland and France. The foundations of Welsh rugby have been ripped apart with the multiple retirements and injuries to players but a solution has to be found. The first half tactics were abysmal and Gatland will be keen to avoid a repeat of that. With their match being against England at Twickenham in a somewhat easier game, it will be interesting to see how Wales approach this match.
A lower penalty count and less unforced errors will be key to competing against England who are in a similar position to Wales. A messy game might ensue this weekend with England’s new blitz defence tactics and it will be crucial for one team to try and take control and be composed. A repeat of the first half against Scotland would be catastrophic for the Welsh. Gatland will be desperate to prove his critics wrong but a change in his tactical approach, judging by the two polar opposite halves in Cardiff, will be necessary.
The Match Report 