Warren Gatland says Welsh rugby ‘like sinking ship’ as he casts envious glances at Ireland

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has likened Welsh rugby to a “sinking ship” ahead of his side’s game with Ireland in Dublin this weekend.

Wales and Ireland both operate a regional model yet the Welsh sides have continually been overshadowed by their Celtic counterparts, both domestically and in Europe.

At Test level there has been greater parity, with Wales boasting a better record at Rugby World Cups and winning Grand Slams in 2008, 2012 and 2019, compared to Ireland’s Six Nations triumphs in 2009, 2018 and 2023. But the contrast between Wales’ current rebuild and Ireland’s strong start to defending their Six Nations title means that Andy Farrell’s side head into Saturday’s game as 21-point favourites.

‘We have got an opportunity for a reset’

Addressing the gap between the two nations, Gatland reiterated a point he has made in the past that Wales’ recent international success often “papered over the cracks” when assessing the current state of Welsh rugby.

“I think [Ireland] have just got the right structures in place,” Gatland said. “Probably if I look at the previous time I was here, we were kind of papering over the cracks of the things that were happening in Welsh rugby.

“We have got an opportunity for a reset, which unfortunately I’m not 100 per cent convinced we’ll have a proper reset within our regions. It’s probably felt sometimes like you’re in a sinking ship and you’re trying to plug the holes a little bit.

“So there’s still lots of work for us to do. It took a long time (for Ireland), but that’s benefited from the performances of their provincial teams and that’s transferred into their international team. It took a while.

“We were probably the other way around. We were the reverse. Right now, we’re probably reflective of where our regions are. We’ve got to look at closing that gap.”

‘Plugging up the holes of a sinking ship’

Gatland was also asked about comments made by Alex Mann, the new Wales back-row who has scored against Scotland and England, about enjoying the professional set-up used by Wales at the Vale, with the head coach stressing the importance of better facilities for players with their regions.

“He said, ‘I now know what a professional environment is like and what it should be like’. That’s what we’ve got to encourage our regions to be like,” Gatland added.

“I continue to speak about infrastructure, getting the right infrastructure, the right environment, the right S&C coaches, medical staff, quality coaches, training facilities, grounds and stuff. Forget about the players. Get that right and then you start building your squad. We’ve tended to do it the other way around, or a bit of 50-50, and then it just feels like you’re plugging up the holes of a sinking ship. There’s still lots of work for us to do.

“The thing with Ireland, they look like they’ve got their structures right. The only way we are going to do it as a group is if we work together and we support each other. Everyone talks about the finances and I understand that.

“But it’s making the right decisions. Is more money going to go on buying players or is the extra money going to be on fixing up the infrastructure, the facilities and quality people in your backroom team.”