Jonathan Davies says the regions have to start taking responsibility for ensuring members of Warren Gatland's Wales side are equipped to deal with the demands of international Test rugby, and has called on the WRU to invest more in developing the next generation of talent.
Wales showed some signs of promise away to France in their final match of the Six Nations campaign, with Gatland stating afterwards that he has already challenged his side to 'fine tune' their skills and physicality ahead of the World Cup.
However, analysing the game for Scrum V on BBC Wales, Davies believes Gatland is having to deal with issues that should ideally be within the remit of the regions.
"I'm surprised Warren Gatland said they've got to focus on skills and fitness," he said. "I'm amazed they've got to do that when they're in camp. Why don't the regions do it?
"The skills have let them down. If they're trying to play a game that's more attacking and a wider skill-based game then the skills have to be there.
"And that goes hand in hand with the fitness. If they get tired then the skills go. It does surprise me they have to do that.
"They should be doing that in the regions week in week out."
The emergence of several young players including, Mason Grady, Joe Hawkins and Rio Dyer on the international stage has been heralded as a positive of this campaign, but Davies believes more work needs to go into developing the next generation of talent.
The 60-year-old believes the gap in technical ability between Wales and the top sides shows that too many young players lack the education and training to successfully make the step up to international rugby.
"I think with the youngsters, this campaign shows that maybe they're not quite ready, and it's not the place for them to learn the game.
"That should be at regional level and before that. You can't learn your trade at international level and the Six Nations and expect to go into the World Cup.
"That's just a no-go."
"If you want to be at the top of the table in world rugby, the execution has to be good," he continued. "The skill level's got to be very, very high.
"It's no coincidence that the best teams have wingers that score a lot of tries.
"That's the difference with the top sides. They've a higher level of fitness and a higher level of skill. When the opportunities come, and they don't come that often in international rugby, they have to be executed.
"New Zealand, their wingers are always the top try scorers. But you can't just switch that on. You have to do that week in week out. You learn those skills at 11, 15, 18 in the regions.
"So I do question the lack of skill work that's been done in the Welsh regions, because it doesn't come through at international level."
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When asked what he'd like to see change, Davies called on the WRU to invest more resources into the development of young players, particularly below regional level.
"The governance is going to be changing," he added. "Hopefully that will bring more money into the game, but I hope that money isn't then wasted on the players.
"It's not the players' fault. They've got to earn as much as they can. But ultimately, there's a distinct lack of coaching and development below the regional standard.
"You shouldn't be coaching the skill level players need for international rugby when they get to the regions. They should know where to get their heads, the weight of a pass, the depth of a run. They should be coming up ready to strengthen the regions, and also the young players have got to play.
"I don't think a lot of young players play enough rugby."
Davies' point was arguably further emphasised on Sunday night, as Wales under-20s were demolished 67-17 by France, a result that condemned Byron Hayward's men to their first ever Six Nations Wooden Spoon.
Hayward himself admitted it was 'men against boys' on the night, and Davies was equally damning in his assessment.
Tweeting after that game, he wrote: "I rest my case. Failing our youngsters, we need better coaching and they need to play more often. @WelshRugbyUnion invest into your future."
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