“We can’t win at home and we can’t win on the road. My problem as general manager is I can’t think of another place to play.”
So declared a US basketball manager during a lengthy losing streak for his team.
Welsh regional rugby coaches could be forgiven for feeling the same way.
Aside from victories over each other, the four Welsh professional teams haven’t won a match since December 4, when the Ospreys defeated Ulster.
Of course there are legitimate reasons to factor in, not least the Covid-related issues suffered by both Cardiff and the Scarlets amid their ill-fated trips to South Africa before Christmas.
The Ospreys were without 11 internationals for Sunday’s game with Sale, including their injured quartet of Justin Tipuric, George North, Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Lydiate.
One century soon, the south-west Wales region may be able field a full-strength side once again.
The Dragons, the most under-resourced team of a quartet of miserably-resourced teams, haven’t won since October 9.
Depth is a concern for all the regions.
The Scarlets played some fine rugby for 60 minutes against Bristol, only to be blown away by five tries in 20 minutes. The west Walians were right to take only so much consolation from their effort. Rugby is an 80-minute affair and the Scarlets were unable to cope once the visitors started to offload their bench.
It was not wildly different at the AJ Bell Stadium, with the Ospreys limiting the damage to 28-10 until Sale ran in three converted tries in the last 10 minutes. While the visitors boasted a pool of replacements of mixed experience and quality, Sale were able to call on Tom Curry among others.
Predictably, another bleak weekend for the regions prompted another debate about the state of Welsh rugby.
Tom Shanklin took to social media to hint that talent didn’t seem to be coming through on tap in Wales right now, saying: “I’m struggling to see where the next crop of quality Wales internationals are going to come from.”
As of Monday morning, the post received more than 600 likes.
Earlier this season another well-respected figure in the Welsh game told this writer: “There isn’t much behind the front liners in the Wales team. The experienced guys, like Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau and Josh Navidi, are way ahead of pretty much everything coming behind. Last summer’s internationals, when Wales struggled against Argentina, showed that.”
Fair enough?
To a point.
Players can take time to settle in international rugby and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Wales have become heavily reliant on a core of 30-something players in recent years, but there are quality players in the pipeline.
Amid the Ospreys’ struggles in Manchester, their two best players by some distance were youngsters, namely Dewi Lake and Harri Deaves. Lake was physical in all he did, while the debut-making Deaves stayed in the picture throughout. Sale had too much power, but the Welsh team’s No. 7 scored a try, made his tackles and seemed blessed with that sixth sense of anticipation that all quality opensides have. “He’s had a great game for the Ospreys,” said Sam Warburton in commentary for BT Sport. “You only know about these boys when you throw them in and he’s come out of it really well.”
Ryan Conbeer had a startling game for the Scarlets on Saturday evening, with Carwyn Tuipulotu backing up his effort from the previous weekend with another promising display, while Cardiff’s young brigade headed by the likes of Theo Cabango, Jacob Beetham and Cam Winnett all look excellent prospects.
Then there are Jac Morgan, Taine Basham, Tommy Reffell, Ioan Lloyd — different gravy against the Scarlets — Louis Rees-Zammit, Ben Carter, Rhys Davies and Morgan Jones, a 6ft 7in second row for Dwayne Peel’s team who showed against Bristol he could run like a stag.
Aneurin Owen, Morgan Morris, Will Griffiths, Mason Grady, Morgan Strong, Max Llewellyn, Sam Costelow and Ben Thomas are others to watch out for.
The Welsh contingent at Exeter, made up of Christ Tshiunza, Dafydd Jenkins, Oli Burrows and Dan John, are also proper players, plus prop Garyn Phillips, who is out on loan at Cornish Pirates.
And the Ospreys look to have a gem in their system in No. 8 Morgan Morse.
A former Wales international advised on the teen’s potential last year, calling him an extraordinary prospect, while after Morse’s display for Ospreys U18s against Cardiff U18s last week a club coach sent over a text calling him a “special talent”.
He is only 17, but he saved two tries with last-ditch defence against Cardiff, carried powerfully, pilfered ball and tackled strongly throughout. If he fulfils his potential he could make a significant mark in the game.
It takes time for young players to develop, though, and patience may have to be the watchword.
But there are talented Welsh kids in the system.
In a perfect world they’d have two or three top-quality overseas imports at each region to aid their development and help create winning environments, but in these cash-strapped times for the professional teams this side of the River Severn, with the Welsh Rugby Union offering only so much help, such a scenario seems as likely right now as a stress-free week for Boris Johnson.
Even under such circumstances, the Welsh conveyor belt isn’t broken beyond repair, though.
It might seem that way in an awful season so far for the regions.
But it isn’t.
Truly.
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