FALLEN KINGDOM
Welsh rugby has tumbled a long way from the halcyon days of Barry John and Gareth Edwards, while Ireland’s star continues to rise
but it’s that lack of consistency which I think people recognise only comes with experience and time together as a team as well.’
The big question is what do the Welsh regions need to compete with the Irish provinces as well as the heavyweight English and French sides?
‘A bit more cash,’ Ruddock says with a laugh. ‘It shouldn’t necessarily be all about money but the reality is all of the regions have all taken on £5million loans each on the back of the pandemic. The interest rates are quite high around the repayments on that.
‘It means that they have had to shrink all the budgets and the impact of that of course is we now have a smaller playing pool in each region so that’s less players for the national coach to look at and less competition in the regions. But also further down the track it will impact the amount of money being spent in the academies and the pathway, which is crucial to the longer term success.’
The Welsh are struggling to match Ireland’s underage structures for one thing. The route from schools to academy to the professional game is seamless. Just take a look at what the Ireland U20s have been achieving in recent years and you see the great work that is being down in this area.
Wales, meanwhile, can only watch on with envy.
‘It’s what I tell everybody in Wales about one of the reasons Irish rugby is so strong. It’s the great pathway structures that you have over there particularly among the fee-paying schools,’ Ruddock explains.
‘You look at St Michael’s, they have a very good gym, video analysis and strength and conditioning coaches and technical coaches. And that’s before they get to the Leinster academy.
‘Obviously coaching is not just about cash, it about commitment, it’s about communication and skill but if you have the right tools to back it all up, those extra layers of coaching process and coaching quality at a younger age can accelerate the development of players.
‘Certainly the Welsh schools and colleges have struggled to match that level of investment in the programme and I think that means we’re a little further behind in terms of some of the Irish players but even if you look at the Ospreys, they have more and more young players coming through all the time now.
‘We’re really buoyed by that and it’s the same with Wales. You look at young Cameron Winnett, the young full-back, he was playing for the Wales U20s last year and did really well. He’s graduated into the senior ranks. What Ireland have been doing – earmarking lads from the U20s for succession planning purposes – and the development is something that we’re starting to see in Wales now.
‘I think we are learning those lessons and we are starting to get up to speed but probably from a lower level because things like the cash investments are smaller, even down to things like training kit. We struggle a bit there around some of our age-grade teams and ladies team, trying to find sponsors for the jersey and help us to invest in those teams and in those programmes.’
It’s hard to recall a championship clash with Wales when Ireland were such overwhelming favourites. The sheer presence of Gatland on the coaching ticket was enough to generate a bit of jitteriness among Irish supporters but even that aura has dissipated.
If Ireland hit top gear, it could be a rough afternoon for the visitors.
‘People will always travel in hope but the journeys are very different at the moment,’ Ruddock added.
‘Wales have had to rebuild. The likes of Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens and Gareth Anscombe are gone. Dan Biggar has stepped down. All these experienced guys. A massive generation of intellectual property is no longer available to Wales.
‘On one hand, people see a fantastic opportunity to grow a young team for the future. On the other hand, they realise that the gulf between the likes of Ireland and France – when Dupont is playing – is pretty considerable really.
‘I think they realise that if Ireland have a good day and play with the tempo and power that we’ve all become accustomed to then it will be a tough day.
‘I remember there was a lot of optimism ahead of the game last year with Warren Gatland coming back but Ireland recycled the ball so quickly and asked so many question of the Welsh team that they were out of sight by half time.
‘I think people are a little bit fearful of that happening again.’
How times have changed.
They realise if Ireland play with tempo and power, it will be a tough day