It’s not surprising that many people want Wayne Pivac to take responsibility for Wales’ shocking loss to Georgia in Cardiff on Saturday.
This year, the record of the head coach is impressive: only three wins out of 11 games.
With the 2023 Rugby World Cup only 10 months away, will the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), stay with him?
They could also turn to Warren Gatland (the self-described Messiah) as a temporary fix.
We all know that rugby is a results-oriented business. Let us begin by reviewing Pivac’s Test record from after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
It currently stands at 19 loses, 13 wins, one draw and one draw.
Pivac’s Six Nations first in 2020 saw Wales finish fifth. But, with the onset the Covid-19 pandemic, there were bigger problems for the country.
Wales did not fare much better at the autumn internationals that followed. The only victories in 2020 came against Georgia and Italy – two teams that would defeat them in 2022.
Pivac can be forgiven for trying new players in his first year. It all seemed to work out in 2021 when Wales won The Six Nations and was a painfully close to winning the Grand Slam.
Wales was unable to build on their success that year and lost to Argentina at home. New Zealand defeated them again, then South Africa beat them.
The Six Nations title was then defended in a pathetic fashion this year. The home defeat by Italy brought Wales down to fifth place.
Pivac needed a huge summer during the South African tour, but he was able to take some time off when Wales won a Test match on South African soil – even though they lost the series.
This autumn saw Wales make more history, this time unwelcome, losing to Georgia. It was the worst day in Welsh rugby’s recent history.
Afterward, Pivac indicated that any questions regarding his future were best left to others, such as WRU chief executive Steve Phillips (and Nigel Walker), who are both performance director at WRU.
It will be interesting to see if they have something to say. BBC Sport Wales has gathered opinions from some ex-internationals from Wales.
Andrew Coombs (speaking to the Scrum V podcast).
I believe he has been underperforming as a coach. Three wins from eleven is not sufficient. Losing to Georgia and Italy at the home is unacceptable.
He has, in my opinion, failed to fulfill his role. Wales needs to fix this quickly and find someone else.
If you haven’t picked the right squad, it can be difficult to pick the right team.
Don’t leave out [prop] Rhys Carre, who is likely a huge one, would have been the perfect player for Saturday’s match [against Georgia]Together with other players.
Second row can be difficult. Adam Beard is a rugby player who has done a lot.
Alun Wyn Jones is still a great player for Wales, but his work rate at the moment seems not to be up to Test standards.
Adam Jones (speaking at the Scrum V Podcast)
He is the one who takes the responsibility [Pivac] He is the head coach.
There are some very good assistant coaches. Jonathan Humphreys has great knowledge; Stephen Jones has done a fantastic job with the Scarlets. Neil Jenkins has been there since forever. Gethin Jenkins is relatively new to the role, but he has gained respect.
Do we remember the days of Mike Ruddock, when everyone was talking ‘has he ever lost the dressing area?’.
Is he able to summon the same fear factor as Gatland? I don’t know.
He is the head coach, and must be responsible for everything.
As you can see, managers get fired in football. It is the same with rugby, which has no guarantees for three- or four-year contracts.
Even though Wales wins the autumn series against Australia on Saturday, it can be seen as a way to cover up some deep cracks in Welsh rugby. The spotlight will now turn to the region game.
Dafydd Jam (Speaking at Radio Wales Breakfast
It is important to keep at it. Even if the Six Nations are ready for a new coach, they only have two weeks to prepare the team.
Pivac cannot do more than he can off the field. All players must accept responsibility and take ownership.
Although no one goes out to perform poorly, it is possible to have an off-day. But you shouldn’t assume that 23 other people will have an off-day.
It will take some time to get it back on track.
It is not all singing and dancing if we beat Australia this weekend, but there are fundamental problems within the game.
The standard of rugby at our regional level… there are talks about teams going to administration so it’s not a good place to be.
It’s scary from players’ and backroom staff points of view, too. But it’s all hands on the pump. It’s about people at the top making correct decisions and doing right.
Emyr Lewis (Speaking about Dros Frecwast).
We must make decisions otherwise, I believe we will see Welsh rugby fall in the rankings for many years.
This is something I believe has been coming for many seasons.
Fundamentals are flawed. Club rugby is experiencing difficulties. It is clear that many clubs are having a hard time finding people to play on the field and facilities.
It is necessary to do a complete overhaul.
We are all now looking at Wales. But if we look at the foundations underneath, there is no way to see the bottom. Without the foundations, you will struggle.
