Warren Gatland expressed his understanding of the frustration felt by Welsh rugby fans after his side suffered their 14th consecutive defeat, a 22-15 loss to Italy in Rome. The result saw Wales drop to their lowest-ever world ranking of 12th, now sitting below Georgia.
Speaking after the match, Gatland acknowledged the disappointment shared by supporters, coaches, and players alike. He pointed to missed opportunities and costly mistakes as key factors in yet another defeat. “I can understand people’s frustration, and we are frustrated and disappointed as well,” he said. “We created opportunities, but we made mistakes, and the penalty count was disappointing. As a coaching team and as players, they are not hard fixes, but we need to make sure we focus in those key moments.”
This latest setback comes a year after Wales’ home defeat to Italy, which resulted in them finishing last in the Six Nations. At that time, Gatland reportedly offered to resign, though his resignation was rejected by the Welsh Rugby Union’s chief executive. Since then, Wales have been unable to secure a single victory.
When asked why his team once again failed to deliver, Gatland pointed to poor discipline and a lack of attacking sharpness. “It’s very frustrating,” he said. “We shot ourselves in the foot with the penalty count being 14-4. We missed a couple of opportunities that we created and couldn’t finish off. So yeah, very frustrating.”
He stressed that the coaching staff had been clear in their messaging to the players, but errors continued to creep into their game. “When you look back at the replays, there were a couple of soft penalties given away, a couple of kick chases were high in contact, and our scrum wasn’t as effective as it needed to be. We created a few opportunities, but we were also unlucky. Josh Adams had a couple of chances. So, it’s very disappointing.”
Gatland emphasised the need for honesty and accountability within the squad. “Some of the mistakes we made as a group, we have to focus on fixing those things. In a game like tonight, in those weather conditions, you have to be as accurate as possible. That means discipline becomes really relevant, as well as your kicking game and kicking to compete. They kept the scoreboard ticking over with penalties.”
Despite the on-field struggles, he remained hopeful about the long-term future of Welsh rugby. “Hopefully, there is an agreement with the union and the regions, and I think that’s positive. We’ve talked about the pathways, and that is a plan for us going into 2027 and ’29. Hopefully, that is implemented as soon as possible.”
However, uncertainty now surrounds Gatland’s future as head coach. With the team’s form showing no signs of improvement, discussions about a possible change in leadership are intensifying. Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar acknowledged that the situation was unsustainable. “That is for people on a higher pay grade than me to decide,” he said. “I don’t think anything is off the table at the moment, it can’t be. It can’t carry on.”
With Wales facing further challenges in the Six Nations, pressure is mounting to find solutions before the team’s downward trajectory becomes irreversible.
