Welsh rugby reaches record low as England run riot

In the last 18 months, Welsh rugby has experienced some troubling circumstances. The lowest point will be allowing England to riot in their Cardiff home.

Ten tries later, the score was 68-14. It feigns belief.

Welsh rugby was left to reflect on the terrible state it is in as England temporarily kept their Six Nations hopes alive at the Principality Stadium and as “Swing Low Sweet Chariots” rang around.

Wales lost in Cardiff in a record-setting defeat, the most points conceded at the Principality, the heaviest Six Nations defeat, the tournament loss, and the most points conceded against England. The details were just the headlines, not the whole.

This once cherished nation is used to competing for Grand Slams and Six Nations titles on the tournament’s final weekend, known as “Super Saturday.”

By finishing at the bottom of the table once more in Cardiff, they became the first team in Wales to win a row in this way.

Wales have lost 17 times in a row in the professional era, equaling Scotland’s losing streak between 1951 and 1955, making them the unwanted history boys.

With former Ireland full-back Rob Kearney already raising the issue, whether Wales should still be regarded as a tier-one nation given that it has fallen behind Georgia in the world rankings to 12th, will be up for debate.

Since their previous Test victory in October 2023 when they defeated Georgia in the Nantes World Cup, which they won 525 days.

With nine straight defeats coming, it has been 588 days since the last home win over England came in August 2023.

Since Scotland lost to Wales in February 2022, 127 days later, in a Six Nations game at the Principality Stadium. Following that, nine straight defeats have occurred.

Warren Gatland resigned as head coach after 14 straight Test defeats, including 43-0 loss to France and 22-15 defeat to Italy.

In an interim capacity, Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt returned for three games and improved his performance in the team’s 27-18 defeat to Ireland.

Due to the misery that has plagued the Welsh game over the past 18 months, the optimism was overstated.

Many people’s judgment was hampered by the fact that Welsh supporters have been denied any success after their recent under-20 victories against England and Ireland.

Before a late revival at Murrayfield, the visitors eventually lost 35-29, in which Wales were outclassed in Scotland.

Wales knew they needed two match points against England to avoid a second Wooden Spoon after losing to Italy 22-17 to Ireland, despite not having yet won a game.

The men in red were systematically defeated by those in white shirts as they overpowered and outmuscled their inferior hosts.

As English supporters celebrated, you witnessed the demoralizing sight of home fans leaving early.

Who will now take care of Welsh rugby’s broken system? With the addition of two Tests in Japan this summer, the Rugby Union (WRU) bosses continue to claim there is no magic bullet.

No director of rugby, no permanent head coach, and no specific plan for how Wales can at least once more compete in international rugby.

This month, they will nominate a director of rugby, and they will reveal the details of their new strategy, which they unveiled in June 2024.

Sherratt makes his day job at Cardiff his home, and there will be mentions of a head coach to lead Wales until the 2027 World Cup in Australia, along with South African Franco Smith, South Africa’s Franco Smith, and current interim Ireland boss Simon Easterby.

The WRU are supposed to be Wales’s game guardians, but they have fallen short in many ways in recent years.

The players’ commitment is unquestionable, but it is obvious that they are of poor quality in comparison to other world leaders.

Whatever is decided, they must remember the events of March 15, 2025.

The worst of Wales’ darkest days will still be topped by a 96-13 defeat to South Africa in 1998, but this one will challenge that record.

We can’t physically match teams, giving defenses the chance Jarrod Evans and Ben Thomas.

“The strongest physical teams can absorb us,” said one coach. That’s the saddest aspect of our current state in Welsh rugby.

Sam Warburton, the former Wales captain, said, “There is nothing the other team can do if you win the power game so convincingly.”

“This is international rugby; it’s a brutal, physical sport where England completely destroyed Wales.”

They simply had a much higher physical advantage. Wales couldn’t do anything, and that was the most difficult watch for me because it only revealed the physicality of the country.

Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar said on ITV, “Any Welsh fan, it was a really deflating day in Cardiff.”

There was a lot of hope in the beginning, but the game ultimately became too strong, which is how it is now.

They’ve got a big tour to Japan this summer, which will be crucial for World Cup seeding, “look further ahead.”

If you’re not going to make tough decisions when you’ve lost 17 on the spin, you’re probably never going to, according to the current WRU powers.