Intensity is at a different level in Test scene – Pivac

WALES head coach Wayne Pivac has revealed that the intensity of the working week is the most difficult thing he has had to overcome since stepping up to international rugby.

Pivac spent five years at the Scarlets – leading them to the Guinness PRO12 title in 2017 – before taking over from Warren Gatland following last year’s Rugby World Cup.

Though there were signs of real promise, Pivac’s first campaign in charge saw Wales lose three out of four Six Nations matches before the tournament was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s really intense,” he told Newstalk ZB, when asked about the hardest aspect of coaching Test rugby.

“The club season is a lot longer, it’s a marathon. These campaigns are a bit of a sprint. Each day, they’re very long days. They’re great days because we have access to the players for the full days and the full camps.

“But we’re starting at 7.30 in the morning and finishing at 8.30 at night. It’s pretty intense stuff, but we’ve got a very good management group and a very good camaraderie in the group.

“We enjoy a quiet one at the end of the day and reflect on what’s gone on. It’s very intense and they’re big days when it comes to Test days.”

With the Six Nations currently unfinished and rugby on a hiatus following the global lockdown to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, Wales’ summer tour to New Zealand is looking increasingly doubtful.

Pivac insisted that they would continue to prepare for that tour going ahead until such a time comes when government advice precludes it.

Wales are due to travel to face Japan on June 27 before heading for Tests against New Zealand in the following two weeks.

“At our end, we’re preparing to go should it arise, but as each week goes by, it looks less likely,” conceded Pivac.

Pivac revealed that he is gearing up for a return to action over the summer months and floated the idea of playing Test matches against northern hemisphere sides if they are cleared to play earlier than in other parts of the world.

“We would like to think we’ll be playing some rugby, hopefully,” he said.

“Even if it’s that June/July period in the northern hemisphere. Whether or not the summer tours go ahead, that’s another story.

“We’re gearing up as if we’re going to get some rugby around that time and what that may look like in terms of club rugby, which would get our players back into playing the game and preparing them to play internationals.

“Obviously, if it starts up in the northern hemisphere but not in the southern hemisphere, then we’ll have to look at opponents from this area.

“Certainly, we’d like to think things will get up and running, but it’s a bit of a guesstimate really.”

However, Pivac estimated that the players would need at least six weeks of preparation under their belts before they are ready to play Test rugby.

He equated the current situation to an off-season and insisted players would need plenty of time to get up to speed before playing matches at the highest level, pouring further cold water on the chances of the summer tours happening.

“We’d want them to have a full preseason as they would at the start of any season,” Pivac told the radio station.

“For us, the lay-off has actually been pretty good. When they came back from the World Cup, players had between two and six weeks off depending on game time.

“They’ll certainly need a normal pre-season to get back into it. They’ll need to have a few games of rugby under their belt before they play a Test match.

“We think they’d need a good six weeks. So when we do get the green light, we won’t be playing the following Saturday.”

He added: “We all hope that we get back out there sooner rather than later, but we’ve got to make sure we’re very sensible.

“We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing. We get one crack at this and we’ve got to get it right.”