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Former England player predicts Wales for the Wooden Spoon

Warren Gatland - PA

A former England Sevens captain has predicted that Warren Gatland’s Wales could end up with the Wooden Spoon in this year’s Six Nations, the mythical trophy for the team that finishes bottom of the tournament table.

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Ireland player Wales at the Principality Stadium this weekend, a venue they haven’t won at for a decade. It promises to be a fascinating encounter, with Gatland beginning his second spell as Wales head coach and Ireland arriving in the Welsh capital following a year that saw them rise to world rugby’s summit.

Wales enjoyed a golden era when Gatland was head coach between 2008 and 2019, highlighted by four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and two World Cup semi-finals. The New Zealander is now back for more, replacing Wayne Pivac following a miserable 12 months when Wales won just three Tests and suffered humiliating home defeats against Italy and Georgia.

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There is a degree of symmetry, provided by the Ospreys, between Gatland’s first game as Wales head coach 15 years ago and Saturday’s encounter that kicks off his second stint at the helm.

Gatland picked 13 Ospreys – the only exceptions were Scarlets wing Mark Jones and Cardiff flanker Martyn Williams – for Wales’ victorious 2008 Six Nations opener against England, and he has chosen eight in his starting XV this time around with combinations key through both centres, props, locks and flankers. Ospreys are fresh from notable victories over French champions Montpellier and English champions Leicester, so confidence is high. It could prove another selection master-stroke.

Yet despite the return of Gatland, former England Sevens skipper and Stade Francais player Ollie Phillips believes Wales could be in line for the Wooden Spoon.

“This year’s Six Nations is arguably both the most predictable and the least predictable in a long time – but I do think there is a good chance of Wales finishing rock bottom,” wrote Phillips in his City AM column. “Wales’s first game against Ireland in Cardiff has a make or break feel for returning head coach Warren Gatland.

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“If they lose it I think there’s a real chance of them finishing bottom of the Six Nations table come the end of March.

“A loss at home in the opening round followed by Scotland away is a difficult task – they’ll either be facing a bunch of Scots who are on a high after beating England or a bunch of Scots who will want a reaction from losing to England. It is almost a lose-lose for the Welsh.

“So after the opening two rounds there’s a realistic prospect of Wales being two from two or none from two.”

The form-guide suggests an Ireland victory, but it is also enticingly set up for Gatland and his players to put such a script through the shredder.

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– additional reporting PA

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J
JW 40 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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