Is Rob Howely the reason for Wales 5 in a row loss??

Just been reading Gareth Thomas and Johnathon Davies say that Wales five game loss is because Warren Gatland as been on Lions Duty.

Rob Howely took over caretaker coach of Wales during the summer when head coach Warren Gatland injured his heels in New Zealand.

Is Warren Gatland not being with the Welsh team the reason that Wales have lost these last five game?

When Warren Gatland took charge of Wales Rob Howely was on the coaching team at the same time, so is Gatland missing from the Welsh squad realy the reason for Wales losses?

Or is their another reason why Wales have gone from semi finalist at the rugby world cup, Grand Slam champions
too almost dire?

Is the Wales team too predictable in the way they play?

Are the players not in the best condition? ( fitness wise)

Is it mainly down to injuries?

Or is it simply to do with the care taker coach?

Discuss.

I don't think it is fair to blams Howley, the foundations and gameplan was laid beforehand by Gatland.

It seems the plays that wokred for Wales a year ago is now falling flat, but where the supporting runners hit gaps last year, they now find defenders.

To be a manger you have to earn respect, Gatland has a track record with his sidekick Edwards, Howley, McBryde and Jenkins have no experience as coaches (successful) even at premiership level. I don't believe Howley does anything more or different to Galtand's limited plan's which no longer work. I think with Gatland back there will be an improvement in effort against the AB's but the tactics will be the same, predictable i.e., kick badly and don't chase because the kick is poor. I thought Biggar kicked well most of the time but I suspect he won't be playing.

Gatland should bring in coaches that can offer a game plan to suit Wales limitations and strengths (offloading and not going into contact in the forwards, remember 2005).

I think thats where Wales sometimes get themselves tangled up, they get selected at the top level, and then try to play a foreign gameplan thats outside their usual play.

In other words forget about what the opposition might do,just go out and play their own game, the game that they learnt coming up through the ranks, and the game they are best at. Gatland has been around more than long enough to appreciate this, why it doesnt happen has got me stuffed.

Not saying Gatlands absence is to blame but why is he out with the Lions a year in advance of the tour?

What could they possibly be doing at this moment in time which requires him to be away from the Welsh camp

Howley is a significant contributing factor. Its not his fault but Gats has the presence and respect - you just can't be given that. I dont think Rob is really up to this anyways - He's a limited thinker tactically and way too emotional - All this has clearly been transferred to the players who don't appear to know what they are doing

majesticimperialman wrote:Just been reading Gareth Thomas and Johnathon Davies say that Wales five game loss is because Warren Gatland as been on Lions Duty.

Rob Howely took over caretaker coach of Wales during the summer when head coach Warren Gatland injured his heels in New Zealand.

Is Warren Gatland not being with the Welsh team the reason that Wales have lost these last five game?

When Warren Gatland took charge of Wales Rob Howely was on the coaching team at the same time, so is Gatland missing from the Welsh squad realy the reason for Wales losses?

Or is their another reason why Wales have gone from semi finalist at the rugby world cup, Grand Slam champions
too almost dire?

Is the Wales team too predictable in the way they play?

Are the players not in the best condition? ( fitness wise)

Is it mainly down to injuries?

Or is it simply to do with the care taker coach?

Discuss.

Absolutely Yes. He is a limited coach in terms of ability and experience, and completely uninspiring as a leader and motivator. Talks in cliches and management speak gobbelegook. Lots of noise no substance.

Davies and Thomas are just saying what I said at he time of Gatlands appointment. We pay that man a scht load of money to manage Wales not swan around fanning his ego and padding his CV. Another act of genius by the morons who run our game

Biltong wrote:I don't think it is fair to blams Howley, the foundations and gameplan was laid beforehand by Gatland.

It seems the plays that wokred for Wales a year ago is now falling flat, but where the supporting runners hit gaps last year, they now find defenders.

Bilt, I think you'll find most of the welsh public wish they had a shotgun license to blam howley. BLAM BLAM!! Sorry, that felt good.............

Blame
Blame
Blame
Blame
Blame
..........













.......blame
Blame.......

Yeah Bilt, we'd never have any Saffer fan blaming the coach now would we

Agree with Iron Mike: I fail to understand what on earth having Gatland taken away from Wales 8 months ahead of the Lions tour does to further the Lions cause. Surely the Lions (and Wales!) would be better served by having a coach actually coaching in the extended lead up. Smacks of 2005 to me - We all remember how great SCW was after having been out of the game for so long!

As a coach, Howley reminds us what a good scrumhalf he was.

His 'we have to play the game in the right areas' comment says it all. He was schooled in the 80s and, no disrespect, doesn't have the intellect or the imagination to shake off the 'get the ball down their half of the pitch' mentality. We're always going to hoof it downfield even when we're on halfway and there's a huge overlap.

In fairness, he's probably quite good lieutenant duties, passing Gatland's messages on - but he doesn't have the ability to be a head coach at pro level.

Not just that, but is he really so busy that he needs to put his coaching of Wales on hold? For some reason he is so busy in the last 2-4 weeks that he couldnt be with the team paying his bills.

Its just such bs

We can't get our fecking players released from France but we're happy to say "Hey, have our coach, it's only the AI's" Irony or what

I seem to remember it being a condition of Gatland agreeing to renew his contract that he was allowed to pursue other interests. Coaching the Lions, doing DIY on his NZ property, oil painting etc.

But I may have made it up.

Moderately interesting;

Gatland stated in Oct 2010 that he had a break clause in his contract,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/8080111/Warren-Gatlands-Wales-contract-includes-five-month-break-clause-in-Lions-year.html

Roger Lewis, WRU "CEO" claimed in March that he does not,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17442737

Looks like one of them could be a complete and utter useless waste of space liar.

Easy way out is to blame Howley.

He may not be the most experienced and I don't know what the WRU were doing releasing Gatland either, but what we have seen is not of Howleys making. There are deeper problems in this team, their attitude and tactics than just Howley.

Gatland's physical presence might make a difference next week - Howley may have failed to step up, but blame lies with the WRU.

RubyGuby wrote:Yeah Bilt, we'd never have any Saffer fan blaming the coach now would we

Nope, we prefer to criticise.

IronMike wrote:Not saying Gatlands absence is to blame but why is he out with the Lions a year in advance of the tour?

What could they possibly be doing at this moment in time which requires him to be away from the Welsh camp

The agreement with Gatland was that he would start the job at beginning of October or Nov - cant remember which. He asked for and got permission to coach Wales for the NZ and Aus games. Howley was appointed the head coach position (interim) until end of the Six Nations 2013.

Gatland said in an interview that he would be spending the time looking at other players from the other three countries. However, he was mindful of not crossing a line where he would still be viewed as the Wales manager. He was meant to be going to watch various matches in the AIs - whether he did or not, I've no idea.

It's interesting that Shaun Edwards is quoted today as saying that the Boss has been badly missed and it's good to have him back on board. He may think it privately, but it's hardly the kind of public ringing endorsement of Howler's tenure to date - understandably - and for the upcoming 6N.

It seems irrational that the presence or absence of a coach should make a such a big difference, but in top level sports "mindset", confidence and the top two inches are all-important.

With the Welsh, it seems particularly true. In 2008 a team that had been dreadful under the coaching of Garin Jenkins won the slam literally weeks after Gatland had arrived. They were more or less the same players and Gatland had had no time to do any real coaching it all.

It is notable that Gatland is a) not Welsh, b) much older that the players. Ruddock, who also won a slam for us, was also much older. Graham Henry , who did great things until his Lions tour, also non-Welsh and older generation.

In football Ferguson and Wenger, the two most successful managers around, are also much older than their players. In contrast, very good players of recent vintage like Dalglish, Keane have failed repeatedly.

Professional rugby and football players are young men in their 20s, sometimes late teens. They respond to certain kinds of authoritative personality, just like soldiers respond to a certain kind of commander.

Sure, the gameplan itself is not Howley's fault - the kicking away possession and boshing up the middle and downgrading of flair have been there for years. But all the same Howley in charge may be a significant negative for performance. Perceptions that he has favourites or that he is not qualified for the job could have serious consequences for team morale and the willingness of players to put their bodies on the line. It's probably not even conscious amongst the players themselves. Some signals deep down in the limbic brain tell them "this man is not a leader."

I doubt it.

3 losses to Australia in Australia. That's hardly a surprise.

A loss to Argentina. Argentina haven't done to badly against Wales. This time they have access to a few more players and, thanks to the RC, some time to develop as a team.

A loss to Samoa. Same as above. Their record against Wales is ok, and that's with generally having to play with one hand behind their backs. You'd expect Wales to win, but I think the teams are more even;y matched than most people give them credit.

Even if they loose the next 2 it's not the end of the world. There's still the basis of a very good side there. It's just a case of a bit of rebuilding. If they win 1 or 2 of the next games I'm sure Welsh fans will be feeling a lot happier.