Wales suffered another heavy defeat. Another record defeat at the Principality Stadium.
It’s hard to judge the outcome of Welsh rugby these days after Steve Tandy’s side suffered a 54-12 defeat by France in Cardiff. It’s the same old story again, as they now turn their attention to next Saturday’s visit to Scotland.
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Wales suffered more as the Blues prevailed in eight tries as the hosts fell to their 13th consecutive Six Nations defeat.
France turned a Test match into a carefree display of rugby as the visitors claimed their biggest Six Nations win in the Welsh capital.
Home defeats have become the norm, with Wales conceding 50 points more than five times in a year at the Principality Stadium.
Argentina, South Africa, England and France have all registered record wins in Cardiff over the past 11 months, while Wales have now suffered 10 consecutive home defeats in the Six Nations, stretching back four years.
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Tandy remains optimistic despite crushing defeat
Welsh rugby continues to be in disarray, with record low attendances for the Six Nations in Cardiff and supporters starting to vote with their feet.
French fans took over the Principality Stadium and Welsh rugby bosses should be thankful they had so many in attendance.
Given all this, you might have expected a frustrated reaction from the Welshman after the game. It’s hard to watch watching players fall into losing situations after more heartbreak.
Wales head coach Tandy tried to stay positive, believing it was an improvement on England’s 48-7 opening defeat – rightly so, albeit from a low starting point.
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There shouldn’t be much reason for optimism, but Wales are desperately looking for reasons to be optimistic as they cite better set-pieces and discipline.
“We were disappointed with the score, but we had more in some parts of the game,” Tandy said.
“I know you’re all looking at me like I’m a fool for seeing the path we’re going down, but we saw the set piece and the intention at the end of the game.
“We can go back and deal with things on Tuesday and that’s enough.
“It’s not the scoreline we wanted but it’s part of our journey. Every country is at a different stage.
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“We have to focus on the things we do better, like discipline, and recognize areas where we need to grow.”
How can Wales justify progress to fans?
It was the fifth time in Tandy’s six games that Wales had scored more than 40 points.
Tandy totaled 302 points and 42 turnovers during his tenure, averaging 50 points and 7 turnovers per game.
Wales have lost 23 of their previous 25 Test matches since the 2023 World Cup.
Tandy was therefore asked how he could prove his positivity to fans who had watched Wales suffer another disastrous defeat.
“I’m a coach and I understand,” Tandy said.
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“Most people see the results and people comment on things but don’t always see the data.
“I’ve learned about the position we’re in. We’ve got young players and combinations coming in and we’ve got to go through it and experience it.”
Tandy insists his view is optimistic.
“I know the challenges of coming to Wales,” he added.
“It makes me excited about where we can go. Hopefully we can look back in 18 months or whenever, and this is part of it.
“We can’t suddenly become one of the best in the world. It’s a process.”
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“We play against the best teams in the world”
Tandy also pointed out that Wales have lost their last four games against the top four teams in the world to New Zealand, South Africa, England and France.
“There’s also the context of the six games we’ve played,” said Tandy, whose only win came against Japan on the final kick of the match.
“If you look at the teams we’re playing, it’s not an excuse for us to drop points, but we’re playing against brutal teams.
“So we have to know who we’re playing against. We know where we want to be as a team but also where we are right now.
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“We are ranked 11th in the world and have won two out of 20-plus games.”
The former Ospreys coach insisted patience is needed and stressed improvements “won’t happen overnight”.
“As a coach, it’s important for me to see where we grow,” Tandy outlined.
“You may not see the pieces add up, but when I see the practice weeks, the mentality of the kids and how they keep coming back, I believe that.
“We have some young kids and it’s going to take time.”
Losing 50 points is demoralizing
Tandy admitted it was frustrating to concede more than 50 points again at home.
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“That’s where we are right now,” Tandy said.
“We conceded a lot of yellow cards and points.
“It’s not something that needs work. There are things we need to clean up.”
“That’s something we’re working on.”
The former Scotland Lions defense coach insists it is important to keep everything balanced as a team.
“That’s at the forefront of what we’re trying to do but looking at the games so far, there’s been more scoring than before.
“The way referees are, if you get on the wrong side of them, things can easily go south.
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“That’s something we’re working on. We’re not going to win games by giving up 50 points.
“We’re keen to address what we’re trying to do and build confidence.”
Wales’ attitude is much more positive – Lake
Wales captain Dewi Lake will leave Ospreys to join Gloucester next season [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
Wales captain Dwayne Lake agreed with Tandy’s assessment that his side’s performance had improved.
“It’s weird looking at the scoreline, but we were much better than we were last week for most of this game,” Lake claimed.
“France is a team that is close to the best in the world and can create miracles from nothing.
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“They’ve produced some world-class results and have some world-class individuals.
“We know there are some things to clean up but we’re not going to hide that fact or that we’re disappointed with the scoreboard.
“But, all in all, we are more positive.”
Lake said his team’s character cannot be questioned.
“Kids never give up on a result, a test match or the ball on the floor, anything like that,” Lake said.
“As captain, I don’t need to say anything. The boys are ready anyway.”
Wales fans won’t doubt the players’ hearts.
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However, they are right to question the quality of the national team and the WRU’s management of the Wales game.
Record defeats are becoming the norm and world rugby is pitying a once proud nation.
This is where Welsh rugby currently stands. It’s hard to be optimistic about this.
