Rugby Union: Help kids rebuild their self-belief

LAST week's thrashing in Dublin must have tested the patience of every Welsh rugby fan, but now is not the time to lose faith.

It's understandable that there should be anger and frustration as it was a tame surrender by Wales, who were simply overwhelmed by a fired-up Irish pack.

But to hammer this group of players would be counter- productive. The three previous matches - against Scotland, New Zealand and England - had shown real signs of progress but they included two defeats.

Confidence within the young squad is still not strong and any over- the-top reaction is likely to undermine their self-belief even further.

I'm not saying the players should not be criticised. It was a desperately poor performance and any fan who shelled out a small fortune for the trip deserved a lot better. But, give or take a few players on the fringes, the squad Steve Hansen is currently using consists of the best available players in Wales.

What really got to me about last week's defeat was that it was such a golden opportunity for Wales and we let it slip through our fingers. The Welsh regional sides have all been improving, there was a real buzz of anticipation throughout the country, and the team were playing a style of rugby that excited people.

But that counted for nothing at a windswept Lansdowne Road because Ireland had a hard-edged, committed and ruthless attitude which Wales simply failed to match.

If only this Welsh side had a Martin Johnson, an enforcer who refuses to yield. Instead, we have talented youngsters in our pack - such as Robert Sidoli and Jonathan Thomas - who get themselves bullied.

I'm not having a go at those two in particular. The whole pack came off second best against an Irish eight who don't stand on ceremony.

At Lansdowne Road you have to stand your ground against Ireland because you know that fire and fury and raw aggression are coming your way. But rather than rise to the challenge, Wales caved in.

As Hansen said himself after the game - our boys poked their noses in to see what was happening and they took a good slapping.

Yes, I know this a young Welsh team, as Hansen keeps reminding us. But Paul O'Connell and Donnacha O'Callaghan - the two Irish locks - are both only 24 and yet they play with a streetwise aggression that our boys lack so badly.

It would be a mistake to tear this team apart and make massive changes for the game at home to France next week.

But Colin Charvis simply has to come back if he is fit, while I would certainly consider bringing in Vernon Cooper of Llanelli.

When the Scarlets won their crunch Heineken Cup match at Northampton the other week, Cooper was outstanding.

He may not be as mobile as some, but he has a ruggedness that the current pack badly lacks.

The only crumb of comfort we can take from last week was the comeback Wales launched late on that produced two tries for Tom Shanklin.

At 36-3 down I feared it could become embarrassing, but at least Wales did not throw in the towel as they did two years ago in the same fixture.

That was the start of the Hansen reign and two years on we are coming to the twilight of his time as Wales coach.

I think there has been some progress, but Dublin last week was a reality check. Against a team who strip the game down to its bare basics, we were found badly lacking in both ability and strength of character.

We have no Martin Johnson and we certainly have no one like Brian O'Driscoll, who was simply magnificent last week.

To come back from a hamstring injury and be that commanding takes some doing. His pace and his raw energy were simply too much for Wales to handle.

I hope the Welsh players have to sit down and watch a tape of last Sunday because it will show just how lacking they were in turning desire into application.

You can have all the good intentions in the world, all the passion and commitment, but if you withdraw into your shell when the first whistle goes - as Wales did - then you are not going to get far.

The chance for Wales to redeem themselves comes in a week's time when France turn up.

They will arrive with a huge pack - and a determination to stay on track for a Grand Slam showdown with England.

Wales must match that determination, be aggressive in everything they do, otherwise this Six Nations could become another one to try to forget.

Copyright 2004 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.