Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Wayne Pivac insists he hasn't lost the Wales dressing room, provides evidence supporting his claim

(Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

If there was one relief for Wayne Pivac in Dublin on Friday night, it was how the plug was quickly pulled on the Wales post-match media interrogation. In these socially distanced times, there was no sitting in a packed press room for 15 minutes or more, answering enough questions to fill a book.

ADVERTISEMENT

Instead, it was a short, sharp online inquisition, one called to a halt less than seven minutes in by the show-running Irish media officer who mercifully allowed Pivac to catch a break so that Ireland coach Andy Farrell could be ushered into the chair not long after and everyone could get out the exit gate just that bit quicker after a too one-sided match.

New Wales boss Pivac has, of course, enjoyed better days at the Aviva Stadium. It was there, 32 months after Scarlets had been destroyed by Leinster just up the road at the RDS on the Kiwi’s first away day in charge in September 2014, that a PRO12 title was collared with the most sumptuous running rugby.  

Video Spacer

Wayne Pivac on the reasons for sacking Wales’ defence coach

Video Spacer

Wayne Pivac on the reasons for sacking Wales’ defence coach

We know from that particular turnaround that he has coaching smarts to get a job successfully done. However, the trouble with Test rugby compared to club level is that patience is a very different commodity, something in very short supply. 

Just ask Welsh skipper Alun Wyn Jones. Quizzed on how likely Wales fans wouldn’t take likely react to this sixth loss on the bounce, he shot back: “One defeat isn’t enough back home so there lies your answer.”

It’s not that there haven’t been Welsh doldrums of recent vintage. Eight successive games were lost after winning the 2012 Grand Slam, a desperate set of results that eventually gave way to a Six Nations title win in 2013.  

It’s just that under Pivac, the green shoots signalling a Wales improvement is only just around the corner are terribly hard to spot. He clutched the straw that was obvious in Dublin, how Wales only gave up one try before the 80th-minute second concession against an Ireland side that dominated possession and territory.      

ADVERTISEMENT

To Pivac, this was evidence that he hadn’t yet lost the dressing room. “The thing for coaches in these situations is the vibe in the changing room, the vibe in amongst the players, and if you look in the changing room you’d see a disappointed team but a team that had put in a hell of a shift,” he insisted. 

“We had asked for that after the Scottish performance and the work we put in without the ball, that speaks volumes.”

How long, though, will that attitude hold in an increasingly ruthless climate where Pivac sacked his own hand-picked defence coach Bryon Hayward last weekend and then unceremoniously hauled off his crumpling loosehead Rhys Carre before a 39th-minute scrum five metres from the Wales line. 

“It’s not about individuals, it’s about doing what we think is best for the team at the time,” he said, referencing how Carre was embarrassingly given the shepherd’s crook and hauled to the bench, his only solace being there wasn’t a crowd of 50,000 present watching his mortification.  

ADVERTISEMENT

“The set-piece was under pressure, we had a scrum on our line and we didn’t want to concede before half-time. We made the change and we didn’t concede,” quipped Pivac, holding firm.  

Next weekend’s plan for Georgia in Llanelli was always to ring multiple changes and explore the depth of the Wales squad. Pivac staggered out of Dublin insisting that this blueprint won’t change even though the premium on getting a pressure-relieving win is now even more acute. 

Lose and you have to imagine he could well be turfed out, regardless of the financial issues that would come with a broken contract for a WRU that have been juggling to keep the show on the road in the pandemic. 

Four lost lineouts, four lost scrums on, 18 penalties conceded, no tries scored… the list of negatives from Friday night went on and on and was lengthy. “We have got a few games now to look at if there are any patterns emerging in terms of individuals that are making errors. We’ll look at that. 

“They are bitter pills to swallow for everybody because we are helping the opposition and giving them too many easy ins and we’re hurting ourselves. It’s something we will work very hard to rectify as soon as we can.

“We’re looking to change what has been done for over ten years and change mindsets,” he added, pleading for some understanding about the post-Gatland crisis he is now firefighting in the Autumn Nations Cup after a forgettable Six Nations. 

“It doesn’t happen overnight in my experience and it’s something we will continue to work towards because we believe in it. The players are working very, very hard. From our point of view, it’s roll your sleeves up on Monday. We’re not giving up on this, it’s not the World Cup – we’re working towards the World Cup and it’s going to take time.”

That is something he could be increasingly running out of, though, after another dissatisfactory outing.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ “He’s given Connacht everything” – Bundee Aki’s future, and an exciting tactical innovation “He’s given Connacht everything” – Bundee Aki’s future, and an exciting tactical innovation
Search