How have Wales fared under Pivac and what can we expect next?
WALES could have up to 12 matches in quick succession when Test rugby is given the all-clear to resume once the coronavirus pandemic is under control.
And Wayne Pivac knows that once the action does commence again, he will need to turn around results during that period.
The enforced break has offered time to reflect upon a disappointing first Six Nations campaign for Pivac and assess where Wales stand post-Warren Gatland.
Pivac will no doubt be mulling over his next moves, not least with his midfield glue Hadleigh Parkes reportedly ready to quit Welsh rugby for Japan.
Here’s our early take on what’s good and bad of the Pivac era to date...
WHAT’S GONE RIGHT?
NOT much, to be brutally honest, when you consider Wales entered the Six Nations as reigning champions, Grand Slam holders and World Cup semi-finalists.
They still have one fixture remaining at home to Scotland, but the best position they can finish is third.
However, fourth is a more realistic position when other likely results are taken into account while a loss to the Scots, who remain in the hunt for the title, would almost certainly see Wales marooned in fifth with only Italy below them.
It was always going to be a tough gig following in the footsteps of Gatland.
Pivac took over with a stated goal of improving the Wales attack.
It has shown promise with a stunning try for scrum-half Tomos Williams against Ireland in Dublin and a sizzling score for Justin Tipuric versus England at Twickenham, but they lost those games.
A further defeat at home to France means the sole success has come against Italy.
Nothing to shout about really.
WHAT’S PIVAC DONE WRONG? PERHAPS he’s tried to rip up too much of the limited, but effective Warrenball power-based game plan that brought Wales their best run of success since the 1970s.
Pivac may say the foundations are being laid for the future, but those in place under Gatland were extremely solid and certainly didn’t need major work.
More worryingly, the new boss has fallen into the trap of criticising referees and drawing attention to Wales’ problem area of the scrum.
Blaming refs for defeats is excuse making, much better to deal with issues under your control.
You don’t need to be a scrum guru to understand Wales have missed their best tighthead scrummager Tomas Francis, who hasn’t played since sustaining a shoulder injury at the World Cup.
Almost anybody who watched Wales in the Six Nations would have seen something wasn’t right. And it wasn’t the fault of the referee.
Yet instead of quietly going about their business, Wales increased the focus on the scrum, with forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys and loosehead prop Wyn Jones complaining about Ireland’s scrummaging methods.
It resulted in referees watching carefully each time Wales packed down and France and England targeting that facet of play. With success, too.
The other concerning thing at this stage is that it hasn’t looked like the dawn of an exciting new era.
Many coveted seeing new teen sensation Louis Rees-Zammit in the red, but Pivac has stuck by the old guard.
In fact, the side he named against France had a record 859 Six Nations caps between them.
There’s a lot to be said for experience, provided you are winning. The worst-case scenario is an old side that loses.
The French were young and inexperienced. They will only get better in their quest to lift the 2023 World Cup on home soil, while Wales will struggle unless they bring in fresh talent and begin building towards that tournament.
WORK IN PROGRESS
THE line-out wasn’t anywhere near perfect and Pivac’s charges have also conceded too many penalties, some, in fairness, coming from the pressure they have been under at set-pieces.
The defence, which had been so stout up to the warm-up matches before the World Cup under the tutelage of Shaun Edwards, is a cause for real concern.
All 10 tries conceded by Wales during the Six Nations were of the softer variety, with Ireland, France and England having pinpointed and exploited defensive weaknesses.
But these are areas of the game Wales will improve upon under Pivac.
WHO HAS DISAPPOINTED MOST?
THERE was an expectation Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams would push on following glowing plaudits in last year’s Six Nations and at the World Cup.
But they have misfired and it meant Pivac failed to settle on who to pick for such a key position, with the returning Rhys Webb having been penciled in to start the postponed fixture with Scotland.
Pivac will hope freshening up during the break may see the three of them at their best when next in action.
WHO HAS STOOD OUT?
JUSTIN Tipuric and Nick Tompkins were the stand-out figures during a truncated campaign.
Flanker Tipuric hardly put a foot wrong and it’s fair to say he was the best No.7 in the tournament with his all-action and typically consistent displays of excellence.
Tompkins’ arrival was a surprise.
There were ups and downs but his running, handling, timing, vision and work at the breakdown augur well for the future.
THE IMPACT OF THE EXPECTED DEPARTURE OF HADLEIGH PARKES
THE New Zealander, who qualified on residency, has provided the glue in midfield with his ability to do the basics and take the right options.
He’s put his body on the line and given everything to the cause, but the truth of the matter is age and wear and tear is against him and he probably wouldn’t make the 2023 World Cup.
So, Parkes’ impending departure actually gives Pivac an opportunity to
freshen things up quicker than he might have anticipated.
WHO WILL PIVAC CALL UP? PARKES’ seemingly impending departure for club rugby in Japan opens the door for Pivac to work on a combination of Tompkins and another promising youngster in Owen Watkin, or look at the likes of Owen Lane, Harri Millard and Ben Thomas.
Rees-Zammit, who couldn’t stop scoring tries for Gloucester in Europe’s Champions Cup and the Gallagher Premiership, must be another the brink of starting after being in the Wales squad but failing to make the match-day 23 for any of the games in the Six Nations.
Pivac will also want Elliot Dee and Ryan Elias to put pressure on hooker Ken Owens, and leaders such as Cory Hill to show captain Alun Wyn Jones isn’t indispensable.
WHAT WALES SUPPORTERS CAN EXPECT NEXT
IT’S unclear when international rugby will resume with Wales’ scheduled end-of-season Test in Japan and two-match series against New Zealand likely to be called off.
However, the plus side is it’s likely to result in Wales importantly staying in the top eight in the world rankings ahead of the draw for the 2023 global showpiece.
But the demands on Pivac and his squad will be immense and intense with there set to be a glut of Test rugby in an effort to raise the capital to keep the professional game going in its current form.
The WRU only gave Pivac a guaranteed two-year contract, which somewhat restricts any desire to experiment.
He knows international rugby is a results-driven business.
Time, particularly with rugby being on hold, is against him.
If the WRU truly see him as the man to take Wales to the next World Cup though, then they should back Pivac in the light of current circumstances.
But the time is fast approaching when he needs to change things around, bring in some new personnel – and definitely improve results.