Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has warned of the dangers of Welsh rugby slamming on the brakes performance-wise amid pay cuts and potential job losses this side of the River Severn.
A few days after the clocks went forward, the odd ray of sunshine seemed to push through for the game in Wales as the European round of last 16 unfolded.
First, the Scarlets made it into the European Challenge Cup quarters after beating Brive, then Cardiff joined them via a rousing success over Sale Sharks on an emotional night at the Arms Park.
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The Ospreys were also heading into a Heineken Champions Cup knockout tie with Saracens. But Booth is concerned for the future.
Tighter budgets mean wages are having to be cut in many cases and some players are leaving the scene. Invariably, the four professional sides are going to find it harder to compete against opponents who might be on different financial roads altogether.
And that adds up to a concern for rugby in Wales, believes the team boss at the Ospreys, in an era when the Wales football side have qualified for two European Championships and a World Cup, while Cardiff City and Swansea City have had spells in the Premier League.
The Bluebirds and Swans have also been involved in major Wembley finals in recent times, while the Hollywood story currently around promotion-chasing Wrexham is capturing headlines worldwide.
Many have predicted a downturn in the fortunes of the Wales national team without Gareth Bale, but they have started their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a win over Latvia and a commendable draw in Croatia.
“It’s really difficult,” said Booth at his press conference ahead of the Saracens game. “The dynamic is there is going to be a wage cap no-one will be anywhere near and a numbers cap that no-one will be anywhere near — a mid-30s number of players that is way too short.
“I understand you can’t spend what you haven’t got, but Welsh rugby people follow success.
“The danger is putting your foot on the brake, performance-wise, and there’s less for people to get behind.
“Welsh rugby is competing with Welsh football, which looks like it’s doing pretty well to me, so there’s a few danger signs around.”
The startling thing is that performances have been so good in Europe despite the turbulence that’s been unfolding in Wales. Ospreys won three out of four matches in the Heineken Champions Cup pool stage against French champions Montpellier and English title holders Leicester, while Cardiff downed a fully loaded Sale in the Challenge Cup on Saturday evening, 24 hours after the Scarlets defeated Brive in the same competition.
Ospreys skipper Justin Tipuric said: “This year has been very tough as a player in Welsh rugby but we’re not here to moan. We get on with it better than most. It’s not like the boys are not wanting to turn up to train.”
Such stoicism is admirable on so many levels.
And right now it is easy to forget the challenges Welsh rugby will face over the coming seasons.
But there will be a reminder when Cardiff face Benetton in Italy this coming weekend. While the Welsh club potentially face the loss of a number of important players, Max Llewellyn, Jarrod Evans, Willis Halaholo, Dmitri Arhip and Dillon Lewis among them, the Italians have just announced the signing of All Black Malakai Fekitoa for next term.
So Booth is right to note where the Welsh game is truly at and what could be ahead. It is hard enough to attract supporters without the screeching sound of brakes in a financial sense.
There again, Welsh rugby is where it is, with alternatives limited given the mess that’s been allowed to build up.
The four professional sides will just have to try to make the best of things.
But it’s an understatement to suggest it isn’t going to be easy.
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