David Moffett was in charge of the Welsh Rugby Union in the build-up to the 2003 World Cup – the last time a Wales team suffered 10 straight Test defeats.
With Warren Gatland’s class of 2024 on an identical losing run ahead of Sunday’s clash with Australia, seeking out Moffett’s view seemed logical given his experience.
‘Call me in five minutes,’ came the instant response. Moffett, known for his no-nonsense approach, was then quickly into his stride from his home in New Zealand.
‘A fish rots from the head,’ he said, when asked for his view on the current state of Welsh rugby. ‘The fish head of Welsh rugby starts with the board, the chief executive, and the head coach. And quite clearly, it’s not working. I notice Gatland is trotting out all his usual excuses. The chief executive should have accepted his resignation offer after the Six Nations.
‘He’s clearly not able to communicate effectively with the players and the latest loss to Fiji, at home, is symptomatic of where Welsh rugby has been for many years.
‘Welsh rugby is always at war with itself. It’s not a car crash waiting to happen. Welsh rugby is in the middle of a huge car crash and they have been for many years. Nothing changes.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has overseen 10 consecutive defeats in Test matches
‘Gatland should have been gone long ago. He should have looked in the mirror, done the right thing, and resigned. Is Welsh rugby going to be better off without Gatland?’ The answer is absolutely yes.’
Moffett continued: ‘Welsh rugby isn’t something you f*** around with. The Welsh aren’t a tough nation now. They used to be. If they were tough, they would be marching in the streets now about what’s going on. It’s simply not acceptable for Wales to go 10 defeats in a row in the modern era with all the resource the team has and the money spent.
‘Get into the street if you’re passionate enough and make your point.’
Moffett, the man who introduced regional rugby to Wales, has never been one to hold back. Some mock him. But his meaty views have historical context. Just over 20 years ago, the then Wales head coach Steve Hansen presided over a 10-game losing streak. During that time, Hansen spoke of a rebuilding phase and emphasised the importance of performance.
The parallels with the current era are striking. Gatland is a man under pressure. His team needs to beat a revived Australia or they will become statistically the worst team in Welsh history.
‘We played what was essentially an England reserve side in the warm-up to the 2003 World Cup. England scored 40 points,’ Moffett recalled. ‘Steve came out the next day and said it’s not about the result, it’s about the progress of the team. I was absolutely incensed by that. How dare the Welsh coach speak to the country’s passionate rugby people and say it’s not about the result, particularly against England?
‘That’s the only result that matters in Wales. I had a chat with Steve and told him if he was the coach of the All Blacks, which he ended up being, he’d never say anything like that.
‘I told him: “If you say that again, we’ll be having a very different conversation” and he never did. Gatland continues to cover up his own shortcomings by saying he’s in a rebuilding phase and the team is young. His job is to win. It’s professional sport.
Wales lost 24-19 against Fiji last weekend and must now face Australia on Sunday afternoon
‘If Wales continue as they are, he won’t have a job. It’s a cutthroat business. Coaches want to take the top money, but they don’t want to be held accountable or be criticised.
‘I’ve got huge respect for Steve. But it annoyed the s*** out of me what he said.’
Moffett was ready to sack Hansen after that 2003 England defeat and told the New Zealander he would be packing his bags if his team didn’t beat Scotland the following week.
Hansen’s men won 23-9 and had it not been for the dramatic impact of England replacement Mike Catt in Brisbane, they would have beaten Sir Clive Woodward’s men at that year’s World Cup.
The current financial constraints of the WRU mean they are unlikely to sack Gatland even with a loss to Australia. They simply cannot afford to do so.
Gatland this week admitted he has not contemplated a second resignation offer, but that the prospect of being relieved of his position wasn’t something that concerned him.
His Wales team has talent and heart. But the bottom line is that currently, they can’t win.
‘When I was in Wales, I used to go along and watch children’s games on a Sunday morning because the grassroots game is so important,’ Moffett said.
Kiwi boss Gatland could become the first ever Wales coach to suffer 11 defeats in a row
‘What’s incredible about Wales is their young players have an amazing ability to play a fantastic brand of rugby. Then they have it coached out of them.
‘Around the world now we have what I call “McDonald’s rugby”. If you go to a McDonald’s, wherever you are in the world, you always get the same burger.
‘That’s what’s happened with rugby. Wherever you go, people are playing the same way – bash and kick. The Welsh used to play in a way that grabbed the attention of millions of people around the world. Everyone wanted to play like the Welsh in days gone by.
‘Those days have gone. I grew up when Wales had unbeatable sides and it was so exhilarating to watch them. Gatland turns the players into robots.
‘It’s all very well focusing on Gatland – and he’s obviously a big part of the problem – but why aren’t there calls for others to stand down as well? The board just float along.
‘They don’t know what change looks like and that’s an issue. When I was at the WRU, I got a moniker as a tough talker because I put a broom through the place.
‘You need that, especially at times like this. If I’m perfectly honest, I can’t think of one current rugby chief executive at international level I’d actually employ.
‘In 10 years, we’ll still be talking about Welsh rugby as we are now. And I said that 10 years ago! I told the WRU: “I know you don’t like me, but I’ll come back and fix Welsh rugby for a second time.” I could still go back there and do it, but it will never happen. It needs someone who b***** well knows what they’re doing.’
Gatland pictured on Saturday during a Wales team training session in Vale of Glamorgan
As they did 21 years ago, Wales’ current crop is capable of ensuring their winless run ends at 10 matches. Australia feels a must-win. But then so too did last Sunday’s loss to Fiji.
Moffett has lamented the poor governance that has seen Welsh rugby suffer a number of off-field problems to go alongside their issues on it. It has been a near perfect storm.
Moffett sees a two-tier British & Irish domestic league as the answer to rugby’s problems in Wales as well as England.He believes Wales should be able to pick players regardless of where they play club rugby. Currently, a Wales player must have 25 or more caps to be employed by a club outside their homeland and also represent the national team, unless they were at that side before being selected.
‘That rule just shows you they haven’t got the guts,’ Moffett said. ‘They chose the soft option and the soft option is always the wrong option. That’s what they do all the time. I would make the WRU confront their shortcomings.’
As he reaches the end of his long run up, Moffett has one final offering.
‘Rugby globally is in a bad shape, notwithstanding all this money the likes of CVC and Silver Lake have poured in,’ he said. ‘What’s it done for the game?
‘It was supposed to be the saviour, but we’re on the bones of our backside. There was a film in the 1970’s called Get Carter with Michael Caine.
‘You should headline this article “Get Moffett!”‘ A long, cackling laugh follows before Moffett hangs up. He is done talking.
