Year of the Dragon? For the Chinese, maybe, and their zodiac celebrations, but for many Wales rugby supporters, 2024 just seemed to drag on, with one defeat following another for the national side.
Matters reached a low during the autumn, when Warren Gatland’s side lost to Fiji, Australia and South Africa, conceding 121 points and missing 103 tackles over the course of the three games. Or was the nadir hit in the Six Nations, when Wales suffered their first whitewash in 21 years and only the fourth in the country’s history?
Often when looking back at a sporting year, highlights and lowlights are evenly balanced. But not over the past 12 months for the oval-ball game on the western side of the River Severn. Statistically, it was the worst year in Welsh rugby history: 12 Tests played, all of them lost. Wales drew a blank in 1937, as well, but played only three games that year and all were close-run affairs. Not for the boys of the Hungry Thirties 50-point hidings at home or anywhere else, for that matter.
But it’s where Gatland’s team have been over the past 12 months.
How, then, has the head coach kept his job?
There was potential peril for him after Wales lost all their Six Nations games, but it came to nothing when Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney declined his dressing-room offer to leave after the defeat by Italy. Gatland told the press shortly after: “I just said to Abi in the changing room: ‘If you want me to resign, I’m quite happy to do that.’ She said: ‘Like hell, that’s the last thing I want, that’s what I’m really afraid of.’”
The episode and how it was dealt with didn’t impress everyone. Former Wales captain Gwyn Jones later said: “I would have thought more of Abi Tierney had she replied to Warren Gatland’s off-hand offer of resignation after the wooden spoon by saying: “Thank you, Warren, put it in writing on my desk on Monday morning and we shall consider it with the board.”
Against the odds, Gatland also survived Wales’ winless autumn. You wondered if the union were exercising sensible caution given the potential cost in monetary terms of dispensing with the New Zealander’s services? Or had Gatland just been shown undue leniency?
No performance targets were made public, but if Wales are still in possession of the kitchen utensil no-one wants come the end of the tournament, aka the wooden spoon, the pressure for a change of head coach will intensify.
Maybe those filling key posts on the union truly believe in the triple Grand Slam winner’s ability to turn the ship around. Or perhaps they feel that whoever was coaching Wales at present would be up against it because the playing pool lacks all-round depth and quality.
Whatever, the man from Waikato will lead Wales into Six Nations, but, the WRU insisted earlier this month, “a further assessment of performances will follow the 2025 championship with the same forensic scrutiny applied”. No performance targets were made public, but if Wales are still in possession of the kitchen utensil no-one wants come the end of the tournament, aka the wooden spoon, the pressure for a change of head coach will intensify.
Let’s agree the union have had had a bumpy year. As well as the national team’s exploration of new depths, it is unclear that every interested party is currently behind the governing body’s plan for professional rugby. There were also damaging allegations levelled against the governing body after drawn-out contract negotiations with the Wales Women’s squad. Players were reportedly set a three-hour deadline to sign deals as frustrations on all sides grew. It was also claimed squad members were told that if they didn’t accept the contracts presented to them, the WRU would withdraw the team from participating in the next World Cup. There are possibly aliens on distant planets who would conclude there must be a better way of doing things.
The WRU later issued an apology for its handling of the negotiations, while a review recommended making a new lead appointment for the women’s game.
Head coach Ioan Cunningham left his post as the women’s head coach, while Nigel Walker resigned as the WRU’s executive director of rugby, saying: “It is right that I am judged on performances on the pitch and both of our senior teams have found the last 12 months extremely difficult.” But if on-performances were the key metric for him, it seems a bit of a head-scratcher as to why the union have chosen to keep Gatland in place.
The year had started badly for the New Zealander with Louis Rees-Zammit announcing he was leaving rugby union to take up American football. With Josh Adams carrying a bump in the early part of the year, Wales undoubtedly missed Rees-Zammit with his ability to turn quarter-chances into tries.
Rees-Zammit’s boldness in venturing into uncertain waters was in many ways to be commended, but he was subsequently cut by Kansas City Chiefs and enters 2025 hoping to make an impact with Jacksonville Jaguars.
There were plenty who wondered if he had made the right decision, in the prime of his career exiting a sport at which he was well on the way to becoming a generational talent for another at which he had no serious experience. His boldness in venturing into uncertain waters was in many ways to be commended, but he was subsequently cut by Kansas City Chiefs and enters 2025 hoping to make an impact with Jacksonville Jaguars. Most will continue to wish him well, and he is still only 23, but the coming year should tell us much about whether his American dream will come to anything.
At least Adams is back fully fit and firing, evidenced by his sword-sharp Boxing Day try for Cardiff against the Dragons in Newport, with at least one home defender probably still looking for the 59-cap wing after the step that left him clutching handfuls of thin air. Taulupe Faletau also showed up well, giving Gatland a further end-of-year lift, while in front of Rob Howley and Neil Jenkins, Angus O’Brien produced arguably the finest display from a Welsh fly-half this season, controlling play beautifully, and youngster Ryan Woodman well-nigh destroyed Cardiff’s lineout.
Staying with the positives, Aaron Wainwright has had a fine 12 months, along with the Ospreys’ Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan. Lake led Wales strongly in Australia in the summer, while Morgan returned to form after injury, with consistency a feature of his game.
Like those currently throwing the arrows to great effect at Alexandra Palace, the west Walian rarely fails to maintain his standards. His fourth penalty turnover of the match against the Scarlets over Christmas, giving the Ospreys the chance to score the match-winning try, was the rugby equivalent of a bullseye, a moment of exceptional quality. Doubtless, Wales will look to him to point the way in the Six Nations.
But we cannot say it has been easy for the regions. Financially challenged, they have found it hard to be consistently competitive. The Dragons parted company with head coach Dai Flanagan, a personable sort who made a lot of friends along the way, while the Ospreys said goodbye earlier than expected to Toby Booth, another team boss who had a winning way with virtually all he came across and who did a largely impressive job under difficult circumstances.
Sadly, 2024 saw the passing of a number of towering Welsh rugby figures, among them golden-era front-liners JPR Williams, Barry John and Geoff Wheel. Lewis Jones and Courtenay Meredith were among other former internationals who left us.
There have been signs of life at the Scarlets after a difficult 2023-24, while Cardiff have already won more URC games this term than managed in the whole of last season, helped by some shrewd summer signings. Note, too, that the Arms Park team have managed to attract more supporters through the turnstiles – no mean feat amid Welsh rugby’s current depressed state.
Sadly, 2024 saw the passing of a number of towering Welsh rugby figures, among them golden-era front-liners JPR Williams, Barry John and Geoff Wheel. Lewis Jones and Courtenay Meredith were among other former internationals who left us, while the game also said farewell to ex-Wales coach Kevin Bowring and the much-admired journalist, grammar buff and all-round nice guy Steve Bale, who, over more than 40 years in his chosen trade, probably misplaced fewer commas than the aforementioned Williams dropped high balls, and JPR didn’t spill very many.
Close the door on a desperate year for Welsh rugby, then.
Things can only get better in 2025.
Can’t they?
Let’s just set a target of not losing to friggin Italy and see how we go there there, shall we?
Oh, and Warren Gatland is taking the piz$ something embarrassing too.
It might not change much but he still needs to be sacked on general principle.