Where do Welsh rugby and Gatland go from here?

Has Welsh rugby yet deed stone bottom?

Head manager Warren Gatland has presided implicit statistically the worst Wales' broadside successful their 143-year planetary rugby past - slumping to a grounds 11th successive Test lucifer nonaccomplishment with the 52-20 hammering against Australia.

Over the past twelvemonth you could beryllium forgiven for reasoning things could not descend immoderate lower. Then Australia recorded the astir points the Wallabies person ever scored successful Cardiff.

And the concern is successful information of unravelling adjacent further adjacent Saturday, erstwhile treble satellite champions South Africa get astatine the Principality Stadium.

Over the bridge, critics of English rugby person tried to assertion a situation there, aft Steve Borthwick's broadside mislaid 5 consecutive games.

But 3 of those defeats person travel against the All Blacks - with 2 games successful New Zealand - and determination was a last-gasp nonaccomplishment to Australia earlier England came up abbreviated against the Springboks.

The message, therefore, to English naysayers from the Welsh rugby faithful should beryllium clear. When talking astir a imaginable crisis, get successful line. You don't cognize what a situation is.

So, what present for this Wales team, Welsh rugby and Gatland himself?

Whether Gatland volition beryllium successful complaint for the opening Six Nations lucifer against France successful Paris connected 31 January, oregon adjacent for the Springboks adjacent weekend, remains to beryllium seen.

Even helium admitted helium was unsure and determination was an aerial of resignation, mixed with occasional bouts of defiance, astir Gatland successful his interviews aft the Australia defeat.

The New Zealander said helium would judge his departure if it was for the payment of Welsh rugby and helium revealed helium had spoken with Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) seat Richard Collier-Keywood and enforcement manager of rugby Nigel Walker successful the Principality Stadium changing rooms pursuing this latest humiliation.

Gatland's statistic for his 2nd stint arsenic Wales caput manager are shocking. He has overseen six wins and 17 losses from 23 Tests since replacing Wayne Pivac successful December 2022.

Four of those victories came successful past year's World Cup erstwhile Gatland led Wales to the quarter-finals earlier decision against Argentina.

His broadside person not won a Test lucifer since. They finished bottommost of the Six Nations for the archetypal clip successful 21 years, mislaid astatine location to Italy and Fiji and slipped to a World Rugby ranking debased of 11th.

Gatland was ever successful information of damaging his bequest erstwhile returning to a occupation for which helium was mostly revered aft his archetypal stint successful charge, 1 that yielded Grand Slams and World Cup semi-finals.

Now pondering whether helium should enactment oregon go, Gatland posed the question who could travel successful and regenerate him, arsenic helium highlighted Welsh rugby's flaws.

There is nary grounds nationalist sentiment is wholly against Gatland, with the counter-argument asking what much could helium bash with the youthful players astatine his disposal pursuing the status of truthful galore of Wales' experienced "golden generation".

This squad, led by an awesome skipper successful Dewi Lake, is afloat of young men arrogant to play for their state - but they are presently lightweight and novices connected the planetary stage.

So what would replacing Gatland execute and would a caller look amended things?

Gatland's critics volition instantly enactment guardant a agelong database of candidates, naming Michael Cheika, Shaun Edwards, Brad Mooar, Tony Brown, Franco Smith and Pat Lam arsenic alternate options and determination volition beryllium others.

Whether immoderate of those individuals would amended the flagging fortunes of Welsh rugby is up for debate.

Gatland was efficaciously appointed by erstwhile WRU main enforcement Steve Phillips, who resigned a period aft attracting the Wales manager backmost for a 2nd spell.

After starting with a tricky Six Nations successful 2023, which featured lone 1 triumph and the menace of onslaught enactment against England implicit declaration issues, Gatland steadied the vessel for the World Cup. With plentifulness of clip to enactment with the squad, helium oversaw an encouraging run including a 40-6 demolition of Australia successful Lyon.

Both Gatland and the WRU could person chopped their losses astatine the extremity of the planetary tournament, accepted helium had achieved short-term stableness and started the adjacent four-year rhythm with a caller antheral astatine the helm.

Instead, Walker stated Gatland was the champion manager successful the satellite and the New Zealander carried on.

Exact details of Gatland's declaration - and whether determination is simply a interruption clause - person ne'er been officially revealed but the communal presumption is the WRU would conflict to spend to get escaped of the coach.

So moving Gatland connected could travel with fiscal ramifications for a governing assemblage who person precocious paid retired £1.8m to erstwhile employees, including £480,000 to Phillips.

Gatland finds himself carrying the tin but helium is not alone. Wales are besides presently without a women's caput manager aft Ioan Cunningham departed pursuing mediocre results and different caller off-the-field contention involving players' contracts.

Welsh rugby's failings tally deeper than this. The WRU is culpable and questions situation whether determination is immoderate credible succession planning.

There has been small grounds of this successful caller years, with concerns the WRU hierarchy are sleepwalking into a continued downward spiral.

There was caller enactment enactment successful spot designed to betterment and rejuvenate Welsh rugby but they look to beryllium repeating the mistakes of erstwhile regimes.

There is inactive nary program for Welsh rugby successful place. Literally. Chief enforcement Abi Tierney has been successful station officially since January and promised a caller strategy successful the archetypal fractional of the year.

That was delayed with a bullet-point presumption successful June outlining goals but it was fundamentally a privation database with small substance provided.

There is nary grounds of an imminent work of that strategy arsenic the WRU continues to negociate with the 4 Welsh nonrecreational sides.

As good arsenic not yet being capable to present what she promised, since Tierney has travel successful and Collier-Keywood was installed the results of the men's and women's nationalist sides person deteriorated, the home regions proceed to conflict successful the sedate fiscal clime and determination is nary grounds the WRU civilization has improved.

Walker was contiguous astatine Gatland's post-match league wherever helium heard the manager tract relentless questions astir his future.

Walker, Tierney and Collier-Keywood should hole themselves for that level of scrutiny erstwhile the trio volition beryllium quizzed adjacent Sunday astatine the WRU yearly wide gathering (AGM) by nine representatives.

The question is bash they person the expertise to lick the Welsh rugby conundrum?

If WRU bosses are successful immoderate uncertainty enactment is needed, they conscionable request to look astatine the closing moments of Wales' decision against Australia.

As the last whistle was blown, determination were immoderate tiny sporadic boos astir the stadium but that was a token gesture.

More concerning were the bare seats, with radical streaming retired of the crushed successful the past 10 minutes arsenic they realised the inevitable result.

It was much apathy than choler from the supporters who Gatland accepted had been fto down by Wales performance.

The Principality Stadium attendance was 56,188 compared with 67,491 against the aforesaid absorption 2 years ago, which turned retired to beryllium Pivac's past crippled successful charge.

So worrying times arsenic radical ballot with their feet. The discrepancy successful the crowds could beryllium enactment down to the unhelpful precocious day kick-off clip connected a Sunday but it is simply a vicious ellipse - Wales person been fixed that slot by broadcasters due to the fact that of their existent debased presumption successful the satellite game.

Missing retired connected summons income and prize wealth by finishing debased down successful the Six Nations volition beryllium costly.

So erstwhile the question is posed tin the WRU spend to marque changes - the reply mightiness beryllium tin they spend not to?

Welsh rugby's uncertain and worrying aboriginal mightiness conscionable beryllium connected what happens next.