As they strolled past Cardiff Castle on Thursday afternoon, iconic South African captain Siya Kolisi and his hulking Springbok teammates Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman stood out like sore thumbs among the sharply dressed revelers in the city center.
The Welsh capital was already packed at midday for Beaujolais Day – an event celebrated across France to mark the arrival of the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau – but an event now also being replicated in Cardiff and Swansea. The wine flowed freely late in the morning. Any excuse.
Warren Gatland and his Wales players may need a stiff drink themselves after taking on back-to-back world champions on Saturday. Gatland’s future has dominated the build-up. Saturday will be his 149th game as head coach of Wales over two spells and a potentially heavy defeat could mean it is his last. 149 and heading to Gatland? It looks like this.
With the prospect of a twelfth consecutive Welsh Test defeat all but inevitable, Gatland’s position as head coach is hanging by a thread.
If Wales had hoped Kolisi and Co had taken their eyes off the ball ahead of their final game of the season and been tempted by a glass of red, they were disappointed.
“Good to see you again,” Kolisi said on Friday, welcoming Mail Sport with his usual vice-like handshake and trademark smile. “I’ve told you before, I think.
Warren Gatland is under enormous pressure after seeing his side lose eleven games in a row
Wales captain Dewi Lake (pictured) knows another defeat this weekend could spell the end for Gatland (right)
‘I don’t drink alcohol. I quit in 2018! Wasn’t it normal on Thursday? I just thought it was a normal day for Cardiff! We missed the braai so we went to Nando’s and played putt putt (mad golf). Golf is not my sport – I had eight shots on one hole!’
Amid the worst run of form in Wales’ history, Gatland’s side don’t need a fully focused and shooting Springboks side arriving at the Principality Stadium.
Honestly, this game has the potential to get ugly.
Whether the Welsh Rugby Union will decide to change Gatland remains unclear at this stage. An evaluation will take place after the autumn. There are financial and contractual considerations that will be a central part of the decision-making process.
Gatland said defiantly this week that he had no indication he would move on. However, that could change in the coming weeks. The reality is that any coach who has lost eleven games in a row (which will probably be twelve games) is going to be under a lot of pressure.
“I’m not that stressed for them,” said Kolisi, from Wales. ‘I certainly sympathize with them. I know they will come out. If anyone can get them out, it’s coach Gatland.
‘I’ve never seen a Welsh team with so many young players. It takes time. They play a lot of games to gain experience.’
The modest Kolisi would never plunge the knife into the already gaping Welsh wounds. But the reality is that Wales and South Africa couldn’t be further apart at the moment.
The Springboks have won the last two World Cups, are comfortably ranked No. 1 in the game and have enviable strength in depth with a rugby system designed for success.
Siya Kolisi has insisted South Africa will not overlook Wales, which could be bad news for Gatland’s team
Wales, on the other hand, are in disarray both on and off the pitch. Their rugby environment is struggling at all levels. Gatland’s men have not won since September 2023. Their ranking is 11.
A Springbok win on Saturday would mean Wales don’t win a Test for the entire calendar year, something that hasn’t happened since 1937.
How quickly things can change. Just two years ago, Wayne Pivac-led Wales defeated South Africa in their own backyard. They should have won that Test series 2-0.
Five or six years ago, Wales’ victories over the Springboks were not only hoped for, but expected by the country’s supporters. Now things couldn’t be more different.
Many see Gatland’s position as already untenable. But if his young Welsh side, who are understandably struggling for form and confidence, are defeated on Saturday – which is entirely possible – then the WRU will certainly have no choice but to replace him.
Wales have talented players who work hard.
But they have been let down by the system around them. The mismanagement of Welsh rugby has forced the national team into bankruptcy. It’s not all Gatland’s fault.
“It means a lot to us to play for Wales,” said lock Will Rowlands. ‘When you lose a match, especially when you feel like you haven’t given your best, you feel like you’ve let yourself down, the crowd and the whole group. It’s a terrible feeling.
‘Gats is a very good man and he has done a great job for Wales.
Wales lock Will Rowlands is desperate to end his side’s losing streak after admitting losing 11 games on the trot has left the team ‘a terrible feeling’
‘It’s a brutal situation for everyone. Sports is always a roller coaster and sometimes there are more ups than downs. We are in one of the slower periods. At the beginning of the autumn we talked about the three games and aimed for at least two wins.
‘We didn’t achieve that, but the last match could be very important, apart from the result. It’s about delivering the best possible performance.
‘I am convinced that if we play well, we can beat South Africa. But if we perform well, we have something to build on. I hope that strong characters emerge in difficult times. I have confidence in the group that that will be the case.’
You can’t fault Wales’ efforts. But Saturday promises to be a more than tough day at the office. A crowd of about 60,000 people is expected. They could see the end of an era.