Six Nations 2025

Just looking at the current squad and it looks like they've dropped that requirement. WillGriff John and Freddie Thomas have single figure caps for Wales. Probably more as they now have eleven in the squad who don't play in Wales.

What do people think of the new rule whereby if the attacking team is held up over the line it's a goal line drop out.

I really think it stinks. When you see the attacking team losing up to 40 metres of territory for no real reason it seems hugely unjust to me. But maybe the real rugby heads can put me right?

Matt Sherratt begins coaching the Wales team next Monday apparently. It's not enough time to sort through all the issues Wales have, but at the very least you'd think they'd look more organised in attack.

The games against France and Italy were like watching rugby from 10 years ago. Attackers were static receiving the ball and positioned so far behind the gain line that they never generated any momentum.

If they can recall Gareth Anscombe he should be parachuted into 10 immediately. Bring back Cam Winnett too. He's very inexperienced still, but he's a sight better than Liam Williams who offers very little in attack these days.

One of those, I hate it when it's us in attack, damn glad of it when it's us in defence.
It's fair enough on balance.

Fair enough. Can't say I noticed it before but I only watch the six nations.

I wonder if they could split the difference between a 5 metre scrum and a drop out because these guys kick it big distances these days. It is basically back in midfield.

Attacking scrum on the 22?

Garland's reputation was pretty secure. Someone like Easterby coming in with no major track record could be damaged by them.

Exactly. Gatland has a massive reputation going back decades with a very successful tenure as Welsh coach in his first stint and a number of successful Lions tours. It's a bit tarnished by this present stint - some commentators are saying he was out of date (which could well be true) - but won't really cause him any difficulty since he's unlikely to be looking for another job. And if he wanted to, he'd waltz into a punditry role easily.

Somebody trying to make a reputation? There are more downsides than up with Wales. It seems people have forgotten that they had a player's strike just before they were due to play England two years ago.

Squidge made some good points on a vid i was watching today, Gatland despite his success was also asleep at the wheel on player development, he was there for the entire period where the WRU butchered the player development paths and he completely missed the connection that the IRFU figured out about how important it was and thought "there's a pool of great players and always will be so i don't need to worry about that".

He lived on the golden age of players from the end of that pipeline and then when he came back for his second stint started to bear the brunt of that shortsightedness and lack of involvement.

This is a key part of why to me its a poison chalice job as unless there's a massive overhaul for player development as a whole as well the patience to wait for it to produce results, not to mention massive WRU management changes, then welsh rugby is in a death spiral.