Today's rugby news as finger pointed at WRU CEO and Jiffy says Italy better in every aspect
Your rugby morning headlines on Sunday, February 9.
Wales international: Gatland should have gone last year
Welsh Rugby Union CEO Abi Tierney should have got rid of Warren Gatland a year ago, according to former Wales lock Andrew Coombs.
Gatland offered his resignation in the wake of Wales' Six Nations Wooden Spoon last year but Tierney refused it and has backed him ever since, despite a record run of 14 Test defeats in a row. Speaking on S4C after Wales' latest 22-15 defeat to Italy in Rome, Coombs is adamant Welsh rugby is suffering the consequences of Tierney's decision last year.
READ MORE: The unseen Italy v Wales moments as players look helpless amid the hopelessness of it all
READ MORE: Recent Wales captain Ken Owens turns on WRU with live TV accusations
"Looking at Gatland in this championship and the last championship, he hasn't done well well enough," Coombs said. "He's a coach with so much success behind him but he hasn't done well now.
"We can't measure Warren Gatland on what he has done - we have to measure Warren Gatland on what he does now. This is the thing you've got to ask questions of Abi Tierney. In my opinion Abi Tierney wasn't doing her job when Warren Gatland said 'I offered to resign'.
"Gatland asked Abi Tierney 'do you want me to resign?' At that moment Abi Tierney said 'no, we are right behind you.'
"There's no CEO in the world who would say that. You take the time to make the decision. You say to Warren Gatland 'thank you for saying that. I will keep that in my mind and we will make a decision down the line'.
"You never take it off the table. This was an opportunity to get rid of Warren Gatland for nothing, but now he's on £600,000 a year and it will cost loads.
"We are in a hole now, a big hole."
Following a winless 2024 - the first time Wales have failed to register a single win in a Test match since 1937 - the WRU decided to keep faith with Gatland. They also revealed there will be yet another review at the conclusion of the Six Nations.
James Hook: Wales looked a poorly coached team
Wales legend James Hook says Wales looked like a poorly coached team against Italy.
Gatland's team kept turning to the kicking game but were reaping no reward from their efforts. Their attack lacked flair and they failed to pierce the Italian defensive line, something Hook pin-pointed.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, Hook explained what went wrong. "Wales looked like a poorly coached team. We went into the game to kick but other than that there was no deception outside," he said.
"When we did have the ball we did not get over the gainline. We looked lost and players looking around for others to do things and nothing was happening.
"The scoreline flattered Wales and Italy were completely dominant."
Gatland got selection wrong
Former Wales outside-half Jonathan Davies insists Wales haven't progressed at all under Gatland and believes the New Zealander got it wrong by selecting Ben Thomas at outside-half.
"This was the big game. Unfortunately for us, they were a lot better than us in every facet of the game," said Davies on S4C.
"I thought they controlled the kicking game. When opportunities came they took the points and I wasn't sure what we were trying to do.
"Maybe as Ken (Owens) said, who do you pick? But today, because I was picking based on what the weather was going to be like, it was raining.
"Sometimes you've got to pick teams based on if it is raining or not. I was thinking it was wrong. We put ourselves under pressure from the start because we only had one kicker. We didn't learn that from playing against France.
"We can't do a lot because of the players we've got but I would have started with Dan (Edwards) and then put Ben Thomas in the position he's comfortable in."
England beat France in final moments
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
England revived their Guinness Six Nations title hopes as Elliot Daly’s converted final-minute try snatched a 26-25 victory against France and sparked wild celebrations at Allianz Stadium.
Finally England showed the composure and skill needed to close out a winning position after a year of near-misses, with Daly’s score ending a run of seven successive defeats against top-tier opposition.
A roller coaster second half reached a thrilling climax that saw the rivals exchange tries in the final 10 minutes, with favourites France appearing to have clinched victory with the second of Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s two touch downs in the 75th minute.
But England refused to give up and with full debutant Fin Smith pulling the strings like a seasoned campaigner at fly-half, they had the tools to get over the line, with the young man sending replacement Daly racing over before converting to win the game.
Welsh team snatch win at the death
Welsh team Brython Thunder earned themselves a well-needed win against Edinburgh in an 11-try thriller.
The final score was 38-32, with Thunder bagging six tries in the clash. Hannah Bluck ran in two late scores to secure the win after a series of tough losses.
Clovers had beaten Thunder 58-0 last weekend, and the Welsh side had suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Irish Wolfhounds, so they'll take a lot of confidence from this victory.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Bluck said: "Everyone digged deep in that game, we backed each other, we went out with all guns blazing.
"I think other games, we were very nervous and that took over us, whereas in this game we stuck to the process and what we have been doing in training and worked off that then."
Thunder skipper Natalia John added: "We've really worked hard as a squad over the last two weeks to come together and put out a performance.
"I asked the girls when we had five, 10 minutes to go, just give me heart, give me fight and they showed that in spades. I couldn't ask for much more as a captain."
