At this time of the year, with the Six Nations about upon u.s.a., everyone likes to make predictions and wonder how well Wales will do.

For some sort of guidance, the obvious identify to wait is how our players are faring with the regions - and , unfortunately, not overly well is the respond to that.

Fortunately, from a Team Wales perspective, various national coaches from Mike Ruddock, through Warren Gatland and to Wayne Pivac terminal time out, take managed to accept the aforementioned group of players and get a much better tune of them at Test level.

They may not set the world on burn with their regions, but with Wales we have had something of a gold menstruum with Grand Slams and Vi Nations titles.

Can nosotros expect the same this time?

At some betoken the papering over the cracks has to run out and, if I'm honest, I encounter no higher than a fourth-placed terminate for the defending champions.

Then once again, a lot of us predicted a similar outcome a yr ago when the regions were struggling once more - and wait what happened then.

I was among the many doubters.

Yep Wales had a lot of good fortune, given nosotros played confronting 14 men in the opening two games confronting Ireland and Scotland and indeed merely but came through those victorious.

But, as the age sometime sporting saying goes, you can only beat what'southward in forepart of you. Wales kept their bailiwick, the Irish and Scots didn't, under the strict new directives brought in, and paid the cost.

Every bit information technology happens, the Wales victories aside I didn't specially enjoy either of those matches. However, if I were an unbiased spectator, which is the case with the vast majority of the television audience worldwide, I would have been extremely disappointed to take been deprived of a genuine contest.

Fifteen confronting fourteen then early in a game just doesn't let that.

I get the desire from World Rugby to avoid contact to the head, but often players are seeing cherry-red cards brandished for what is a past and large adventitious standoff. A slightly mistimed challenge, rather than an act of dirty foul play.

Peter O'Mahony was sent off as early as the 14th minute after deeming to brand initial contact with Tomas Francis' head at a breakup. The game was over as a spectacle, if truth be known, even though Ireland hung in there with stoic defense force. Which is what can happen when you're down to 14 men, but you lot invariably lose in the stop.

Wayne Barnes sends off Peter O'Mahony in the Wales game

Scotland's Zander Fagerson was red carded in the adjacent match after catching Wyn Jones with a clearout. At best this one divided opinion.

In many ways you could say those cherry cards helped to decide the title, gave Wales the wins and momentum they needed to produce much improve performances confronting England, Italy and French republic and go on to elevator the bays.

It's as well why tipping the championship winners this fourth dimension around could be fraught with danger, because under the electric current World Rugby refereeing guidelines nosotros have to gene in reddish cards once again. Which is a real shame when and then much is at stake and we want to be watching a proper even contest.

These are not acts of violence or wild recklessness, sometimes we're talking most fractions of a 2nd misjudgements in the heat of battle, including split second changes of direction and body heights.

In those circumstances doesn't at that place demand to be a more proportionate response that would not ruin the occasion for anybody else?

Should the entire squad really be unfairly penalised for something like this? It'south not just the team though, is it, information technology'due south also the watching millions who suddenly have the spectacle they have tuned into ruined. Not to mention the tens of thousands paying a small fortune to really be within the stadium.

I've even wondered about the role player sent off being left on the sidelines to rue what he'd just done, merely a substitute sent on for him to ensure a full complement on the pitch and it remains an even competition.

Yeah, I know that's probably non practical. Merely some of these cerise card decisions aren't deliberate acts of foul play. And that'due south an important stardom.

Oftentimes they are incidents spotted by the TMO lone. Then they are slowed down and replayed fourth dimension and fourth dimension again on the big screen, which makes things appear worse than they are in real time.

With simply five matches being played per team, whole Championships can be decided by this and I'chiliad non convinced the punishments are entirely proportionate.

We need to eliminate foul play, that goes without maxim, but we also accept to continue rugby equally a spectacle, particularly showpiece matches like the Six Nations, and 15 versus fourteen creates an imbalance.

The current clampdown just seems something of a knee jerk reaction to me, that we accept to exist seen to exist doing something. Similar to 2011 when tip tackles were the hot topic and Sam Warburton was sent off against French republic, whereas they were highlighting a few other instances during that tournament where players got away with a yellowish card, or in some cases just a direct penalization.

The style they slow things down and have this large fence with the TMO annoys me at times. A dial is a dial, we can each agree that's a ruddy card, but when something isn't an act of malice, and they debate things in such minute particular, that in itself creates an element of doubt.

So when a ruby is brandished in these circumstances, it but doesn't sit comfortably with me. Particularly when information technology's early in the game.

It was fortunate for Wales that nosotros took reward of those refereeing calls last twelvemonth and gained victories which created the momentum, in plow leading to an first-class win over England, a thumping of Italia and a gallant final mean solar day showing in Paris when French republic snatched away the One thousand Slam at the end.

Can something similar happen this time around?

I'thousand not so certain, if I'm brutally honest, non when you look at an injury listing containing names similar Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Ken Owens, Josh Navidi, George North and, of grade, the talisman himself Alun Wyn Jones.

The dorsum row has been a existent area of strength for Wales for many years, but tin the likes of Taine Basham, Ellis Jenkins, Ross Moriarty and Aaron Wainwright really fill the boots of Tipuric, Faletau, Navidi, Sam Warburton and Dan Lydiate?

Basham is young, will fly around the field and be in the faces of the opposition, only the tests ahead, with the spotlight on, will be really stern ones.

Personally I'd have retained Jenkins as helm, asking him to pb the team through to the World Loving cup. The fact Dan Biggar has been chosen instead indicates Pivac may non regard Jenkins every bit a certainty for the squad.

What about Biggar, how will he fare with the actress responsibleness of leading the side? He always seems to be written off but, credit to him, he likewise always seems to bounce back.

Just how much will Owens and Alun Wyn be missed? Tin Ryan Elias and Will Rowlands really fill those gigantic voids?

And while the back three look full of running and tries, what about the uncertainties in the midfield and getting the ball to them?

There are an awful lot of ifs and buts for Pivac here and he could at least do with the foundation of successful regional sides.

The Welsh team was always congenital up that in the past - underpinned in the 1970s by the Pontypool forward, allied to the dazzling Scarlets backs. Plus a sure Gareth Edwards, of course.

But since regional rugby was introduced it'southward similar Wales take accomplished in spite of them, rather than considering. This is where Gatland's very simplistic Warrenball approach helped, the players came into camp and knew instantly exactly what was required of them.

Gatland rarely moved away from that game programme.

What Wales do accept going for them, though, is that in that location are ifs and buts surrounding the other teams equally well.

France'due south preparations have been rocked by Covid, Eddie Jones looks like he is in a bit of a rebuilding phase with England, we tend to practice well against Scotland and Republic of ireland are very much relying on some of their old guard like Johnny Sexton.

And, unfortunately, I fear we will run into red cards in one case more straight affecting the outcome of matches.

On the footing of everything being equal, I'd say France champions, followed past England, Ireland and us in quaternary place.

Then again, many would have tipped us for that position last time out, too.

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Graham Price was speaking in association with Nigel Jones, experts in dental implants