Wales must get back to basics, insists Mcgeechan
SIR Ian Mcgeechan has told Wayne Pivac that trying to play the Scarlets way with Wales was wrong and undid the good work Warren Gatland had built up over a decade.
Rugby legend Mcgeechan spelt out his views as he looked ahead to the Six Nations and argued that Wales need a more back-to-basics ‘steady the ship’ approach.
Pivac came into the Wales job intent on getting the team to play a more expansive game, looking to model the national side on his Scarlets outfit who had thrilled in domestic and European competition.
In doing so, Mcgeechan argued Wales became too loose under Pivac, losing the organisation and structure Gatland and his defensive kingpin Shaun Edwards had spent more than 10 years demanding.
Under Gatland Wales won three Grand Slams and reached two World Cup semi-finals.
But they have had a woeful year in 2020 under Pivac, finishing only above Italy in the Six Nations and losing to England and Ireland during a disappointing Autumn Nations Cup.
Pivac will be hoping to right the wrongs in the Six Nations, which begins with a Principality Stadium clash against Ireland on Sunday.
“They have to win. Last year was very disappointing for Wales,
Wayne Pivac came in and tried to get them playing like Scarlets,” Mcgeechan wrote in his column for the Sunday Telegraph.
“But they went too far, became too loose, and lost the solidity and organisation they had built up over a decade under Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards.
“It was their work without the ball which made Wales so good for so many years.”
Wales open their Six Nations programme on Sunday with Ireland the visitors to the Principality Stadium (3pm).