Jonathan Davies is the first to admit he has been blown away by the events of the past week.
When he gave his thoughts on the state of Welsh rugby on BBC’s ScrumV last Sunday, little did he realise just what the reaction would be.
The concerns he raised over how the game in Wales is run and a lack of leadership from the WRU clearly struck a real chord with the public at large.
“I was absolutely amazed by the reaction,” he says, when we catch up for a chat.
“The response has been unbelievable. Even the trolls on Twitter like me now!
“It was as if I had said something that everyone else had been thinking about.
“You could see the frustration had just been released from them all because I had said something. It was astonishing really.”
So what was it that motivated the dual code great to speak out?
“For me, there is no agenda. It’s not about having a pop at anyone,” he says.
“I am a Trimsaran boy. My dad played for Swansea, I played for Neath and Llanelli, I ended up my career at Cardiff. I played for Wales, I enjoyed it.
“I have no agenda whatsoever. I just want every rugby team in Wales to be successful because I am a proud Welshman.
“I have watched the regions struggle, I had watched Wales U20s getting battered out in Ireland, I had seen Wales well beaten in Dublin.
“No wonder people aren’t interested in rugby when everybody is losing. It’s not nice.
“All I was hearing was frustration, frustration, frustration from regions, Premiership, the grassroots game.
“Community clubs can’t get teams out because of the lack of numbers participating. Whereas you used to have firsts, seconds and thirds, they are struggling to field a first team now.
“It worried me that we didn’t seem to have as many kids coming through as some other countries.
“I said what I did because I felt it. The reaction I had was amazing and it showed how frustrated people were.”
He continued: “I know whatever I say someone is going to be upset.
“People say to me, ‘Oh you have got an agenda against the WRU’.
“I haven’t got an agenda against the Union, or the regions, or the Premiership.
“My only agenda is for Welsh rugby to be successful because I care about it.
“So I just thought it was time to say something.
“We have been lucky. We have had a generation of players that have done exceptionally well and carried the flag for Wales.
“But I do think it has masked a lot of things and papered over the cracks.”
Davies’ doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but feels there’s a pressing need for greater clarity over just what the way forward is for Welsh rugby.
“You are a journalist, have you ever seen a visible plan from the Union?” he asks.
“There might be one, but it doesn’t seem to be coming through.
“If you have got a plan and a pathway, which is visible, everyone can buy into it and feel part of it.
“No-one is buying into anything at the moment because everyone is worried about their own interests. There is a lot of politics involved.
“Everyone is at each other’s throats and arguing. Our country is too small to be at loggerheads with each other.
“We need to get everyone in together and work out what is the best for everyone.
“There needs to be a visible pathway for players and coaches and it has to be inclusive.”
As far as Davies is concerned, it’s all about joined up thinking.
“Wales need the regions to be strong,” said the former fly-half.
“The regions need the Premiership to be strong.
“The Premiership needs the grassroots clubs to be strong.
“The Union have got to chuck more finance at the game.
“People ask why have they built a hotel rather than investing in the game itself. Is that the right thing to do?
“They have got to put money in to support everyone.
“If they are not going to invest in the game, eventually the regions are going to get worse and worse.
“They are not going to develop players and they are the supply chain for the Wales team, that’s the bloodline.
“If Wales start losing heavily over the next four years, are the Union going to sell all the tickets in the ground? They’re not, are they.
“They have got to speak to local government and the Welsh Government and get them involved. That’s the key for finances.
"As I understand it, they do get some government money via Sport Wales' involvement, but maybe they should go to the government independently, as we promote our country through rugby.
“The politicians jump on the bandwagon when Wales are winning and say it’s great for the country. They love it.
“Well, let’s get on to them to help the game.
“People talk about obesity and mental health being a massive problem. Well, sport is brilliant for tackling them.
“The Union also need to look at bringing sponsors on board to support the youngsters.
“Just as an example, you could get someone to sponsor all the coaches in the Dewar Shield.
“But you need a visible plan. People aren’t going to invest in something they can’t see and don’t know.”
His Dewar Shield suggestion touches on an area of the game that Davies feels particularly strongly about.
“A massive thing is schools,” he said. “All the top rugby countries have good schools and good sports teachers.
“When you look at Ireland, England, New Zealand and South Africa, there’s no magic formula. It’s all down to the schools system.
“You have got a captive audience in school and you need to make the most of it.
“So you have to put money into schools. You are looking at schools, colleges, universities, grassroots, Premiership, regional.
“There has got to be pathway. What happens then is you get a sense of belonging and there is help everywhere. Everyone needs a sense of belonging.”
Another issue Davies has firm views on is the limited amount of rugby some young players tend to have these days.
“After Wales U20s lost heavily to Ireland out in Cork, I saw Byron Hayward say half of them hadn’t played a competitive game since November,” he said.
“That’s crazy. The youngsters need to play more games. You only learn by playing.
“When I was playing for Neath, I was practising things I was going to do for Wales.
“I would chose a game that wasn’t televised, so it wouldn’t get picked up. Sometimes I would get battered and I would go ‘Oh, that won’t work’.
“But then I’d try something else and think ‘Oh, that will work’.
“You think through how to do things by playing.
“We need to be less regimented about not playing too many games. Leave them play.
“When I was a kid, I used to play two games on a Saturday, school at 10am and youth in the afternoon.
“I remember when I was up in rugby league, I played for Great Britain against New Zealand in a Test match on a Saturday.
“Next thing, Dougie Laughton, the Widnes coach, said ‘Good game lad, get a warm bath, you are playing full-back against Oldham tomorrow!’
“I wanted to play for my club. That was my bread and butter. A lot of young players just don’t play enough these days.
“All the Academy boys who aren’t playing for the regions should be playing in the Premiership.”
Perhaps, above all, Davies feels the key is driving up participation numbers, particularly at junior level.
“The bigger the base, the more chance you’ve got of players coming through,” he said.
“You need a clear pathway and a plan to produce them and support them as they develop.
“That’s the key to the future.”
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