Should Wales boss Gatland stay or go? Pundits react

Warren Gatland's aboriginal remains uncertain amid the agonising soul-searching going connected successful Welsh rugby.

A grounds 11 successive Test lucifer defeats has prompted fierce speculation implicit the caput coach.

Welsh rugby's issues intelligibly tally acold deeper than 1 antheral but fewer coaches, successful immoderate sport, past a tally arsenic atrocious arsenic this.

Gatland could inactive beryllium successful complaint for Saturday's daunting assignment with satellite champions South Africa, but whether helium remains successful spot for the Six Nations opener successful Paris 10 weeks aboriginal appears progressively uncertain.

He spoke to Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) enforcement manager of rugby Nigel Walker and seat Richard Collier-Keywood aft Australia's biggest triumph against Wales for 28 years, and is comfy with "whatever the champion determination for Welsh rugby is".

Aaron Wainwright insists the players are fully down Gatland contempt their latest loss.

The question is whether sacking Gatland volition marque a difference.

Former Wasps and England prop Phil Vickery echoed Alex Cuthbert's comments that Gatland could yet crook Wales astir for the Six Nations if fixed time.

Gatland steered Wales to the quarter-finals of past year's World Cup and has appealed for patience arsenic helium builds a caller team.

"When radical inquire if I privation I'd got into coaching, I spot immoderate of the footage of Warren astatine the play and it makes you accidental 'absolutely not'," Vickery told Radio 5 Live.

"But he’s done incredibly good for Wales and if anybody tin bash it, that’s your man.

"It's results driven and he's nether the cosh, but if I was a young Welshman wanting to interruption out, Warren Gatland is your antheral to bring radical successful and marque thing happen.

"Wales don’t person the extent of squad, but he's been determination earlier and done it."

Former Wales skipper Gwyn Jones believes Gatland has already "checked out".

"I judge Gatland erstwhile helium says however disappointed they are but his grounds arsenic a manager since 2019, with Waikato, the [British & Irish ] Lions and Wales, it's dreadful," Jones said.

"The crippled is changing and you request to bring ideas and beryllium pioneering. Wales are playing the aforesaid mode present arsenic erstwhile helium came successful 2008. We're excessively conservative.

"We don't person the large beardown players anymore truthful we person to beryllium much inventive and I don't deliberation it's wrong him to manager immoderate different way."

Ex-Wales & British & Irish Lions centre Tom Shanklin praised Gatland for "transforming" the nationalist broadside during his archetypal spell successful charge, but said Wales present deficiency an identity.

"I've ne'er seen him similar the mode helium was aft the Australia game. I consciousness atrocious for him aft each helium did for Welsh rugby," said Shanklin.

"But determination has to beryllium accountability for this tally and not conscionable from the caput coach, but the WRU arsenic well.

"Warning signs person been ignored astir excessively overmuch absorption connected the nationalist broadside and not capable connected the regions and academies to make players.

"Gatland offered a short-term hole erstwhile helium returned, but present it's clip for a caller manager with a caller dependable bringing caller ideas.

"We can't play carnal rugby immoderate much due to the fact that we deficiency size oregon power, but we're not seeing a program B and determination hasn't been immoderate progress."

Shanklin's chap Grand Slam victor James Hook agreed it was clip for a alteration aft conscionable six wins successful 23 Tests since Gatland's return.

"What is going to alteration if Warren is inactive successful complaint for the Six Nations?" helium asked.

"You don’t privation to spot anyone suffer their job, but it feels that thing has to alteration to freshen everyone up, players and fans.

"But we besides request to put successful different areas specified arsenic the academies. They're not bully capable and we’re mounting up a batch of young boys to fail."