Gatland's Wales innings to be tested by Springboks

Head coach Warren Gatland will today lead Wales for the 149th time.

Whether the New Zealander raises his bat for an unbeaten 150 in Paris for the Six Nations opener against France next January is up for debate.

As usual, the Wales coach will travel to the game with his squad on the bus that drives through the 'Gatland Gates' on the way into the Principality Stadium.

Double world champions South Africa are the opponents. Hardly ideal when Wales have lost a record 11 consecutive internationals, Gatland's side are facing an 11th defeat in a so far winless calendar year when they have slipped to 11th in the world.

Wales' doubters fear a cricket score against the Springboks and hope South Africa might declare.

Eternal optimists hope Wales can somehow defy the form guide by producing a minor miracle and help alleviate the dark days of Welsh rugby.

It has been a strange week following the record 52-20 loss against Australia in Cardiff last Sunday. A waiting game to see what might happen but nothing has.

Speculation about Gatland's position intensified, after the man who had the highest winning streak in Welsh rugby history of 14 games in 2018 and 2019, was now responsible for the longest losing sequence.

In the bowels of the Principality Stadium after the Wallabies drubbing, Gatland looked forlorn as he said he would resign if it was in the interests of Welsh rugby and could not answer whether he would be in charge this weekend, let alone for next year's Six Nations.

But he is still there and there has been an element of business as usual over the last few days.

There has been more defiance from the Wales coach as he reiterated he wants to carry on and raised questions whether bringing somebody else in would change results.

Gatland has runs on the board from his first Wales innings that lasted 12 years and ended in 2019 with three Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-finals and an overall record of 70 wins in 125 games, a success rate of 56%.

In cricket's Test match arena, the second innings is often more challenging and Gatland's rugby return has been no exception.

Six victories and 17 losses in 23 matches, a sorry win rate of 26% and no Test victory since October 2023 demonstrates the contrasting fortunes.

There appear to be two schools of thought on Gatland's Wales future.

One opinion is the sport has moved on from his first spell of being Wales' most successful coach and his style is outdated.

Former Wales captain Gwyn Jones has accused Gatland of already "checking out", saying his "race is run".

The conflicting view is Gatland is still the man to turn Wales around with no other coach being able to achieve results with such an inexperienced group of players.

Gatland insisted this week the squad had received public support which has helped the squad cope in the latest crisis.

Wales assistant Rob Howley called his boss the best coach in the world and confidently asserted he would not leave his role.

That is an opinion you would expect from somebody who has worked with Gatland for 20 years for Wasps, Wales and the British and Irish Lions, but it is also a view shared by others.

There has also been external support from South Africa head coach Rassie Eramus and captain Siya Kolisi.

Five years ago, Gatland's team almost defeated the Springboks in a World Cup semi-final. In 2022, Wayne Pivac's side became the first Wales men's team to win a Test in South Africa.

Things have changed considerably and today's teams are poles apart in terms of depth and experience.

The Springboks have 963 caps in their matchday 23 while Wales only muster 334, including just 61 internationals in the home seven-man starting backline.

South Africa's second-row duo of Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert have 207 caps, two more than Wales' starting side.

While opinion on Gatland is polarised, what cannot be debated is that Welsh rugby is in disarray.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is much-maligned. The governing body is the custodian of the game in Wales which has failed in its duties in recent years.

Whether you think Gatland is the right man to continue in the Wales role, he has fronted up to the barrage of bouncers bowled at him in recent days.

In contrast, the WRU bosses have been hiding in the pavilion, looking for a night-watchman to take on the chin music, rather than stride to the wicket to face the deliveries thrown down.

WRU executive director of rugby Nigel Walker positioned himself at the back of Gatland's press conference last weekend to listen to events. Walker also has questions to answer alongside chair Richard Collier-Keywood and chief executive Abi Tierney.

Welsh rugby's governing body has significant decisions to make. Not just about Gatland's future where there will be concerns over the financial implications over his departure, with the man himself this week stating there is no break clause in his contract.

There are also a plethora of other issues to be solved. Conspicuous by their absence for most of the year, the WRU hierarchy will at least be under the microscope when they face the clubs at the annual general meeting on Sunday morning.

That occasion takes place at the same venue and roughly the time that Wales players and coaches will be checking out following another international campaign.

Whether Gatland will be checking back in next January remains to be seen.

Dismissed for 149 or soldiering on for another milestone next year? Events in Wales' final match of a horrendous 2024 might just determine the answer.