Wales have passed the halfway point in their Six Nations campaign and are still waiting for their first win.
There was much to criticize and much to praise about the performances against Scotland and England.
And there was a glimmer of possibility in the loss to defending champions Ireland in Dublin.
Here are some thoughts on the campaign so far from the Scrum V Podcast team and this week's guests, former Ireland hooker and Dragons coach Bernard Jackman and rugby analyst Sam Lerner.
What is Gatland's strategy?
“It's difficult because Wales haven't won enough front football and haven't been in control long enough for us to understand their plans,” Jackman said.
“Indeed, this looks much less structured than before. [Warren] Past Gatland teams. Wales are trying to play fast, but haven't built a phased attack that really raises any questions.
“You just try to win the collision and turn it wide as quickly as possible. But the best defenses can get through half breaks.”
Wales have failed to score in a single half in any of their three Six Nations games so far this year.
They entered the Ireland 22 five times and spent more time in the so-called red zone, but earned just 1.4 points per entry compared to Ireland's 3.11 points. This symbolized Wales' red zone efficiency of just 20%.
One of the reasons for this statistic is that Wales were denied numerous opportunities to take penalties in front of goal. In fact, you have to go back to the World Cup for the last time Wales scored a penalty.
“You can't go 40 minutes in Test rugby without scoring a goal,” Lerner said.
“Wales were a bit naive not taking a penalty. Even in their big win against Australia, 18 of their points came from penalties, so it's vital that we keep the scoreboard moving.”
narrow attack
Against England, the majority of Wales' carries were within 10 meters of the breakdown.
Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams and Kieran Hardy passed the ball 1.3 meters shorter than their English counterparts on all 81 passes, making a huge difference.
A similar situation played out against Ireland, where Wales narrowed down their attacking range.
“If Wales didn't break down right away, it would have ended with either Ireland stealing the ball or Wales stealing the ball.” [getting] You will be punished,” Lerner said.
“But it's incredibly difficult to play like that, because you're concentrating the attackers with relentless pick-and-gos. You're afraid of getting isolated, and you're not going to let the ball go, even if it's 10 or 15 meters away. I could feel the tension in the movement.”
Part of the problem is a lack of success on the gain line, with Wales finishing last in line breaks.
Throughout the tournament so far, only a third of Wales' carries have actually crossed the gain line. Against England, his success rate was a low 29%.
If you're constantly being knocked back, you'll lose momentum and the only viable option left is to kick.
A young side that shows “guts”
This young team needs to learn on the job and quickly.
Once Wales got the lineout maul working, it turned into a real weapon against Scotland.
They won the red zone battle against England and were able to score points more efficiently, while their lineout improved against Ireland (83%) and their defense was commendable.
“Defensive Wales were physical. They were incredibly brave and that's the cornerstone,” Jackman said.
“The comeback against Scotland, the first half against England and the tenacity against Ireland showed grit.”
Wales flanker Tommy Leffell leads the overall statistics in the Six Nations with most defensive rucks (43) and breakdown steals (6), leading tacklers alongside Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins. is in the top 4.
Despite Wales' three defeats, full-back Cameron Wynnett has emerged as a future star.
The 21-year-old has achieved the most meters in the Six Nations, ahead of Ireland's James Rowe and Scottish tri-machine Duan van der Merwe.
Wainwright is the key man
With so many new players being bloodied by Gatland at the same time, the likes of Aaron Wainwright were much needed to lead by example.
The Dragons number eight has proven to be a talisman for Wales as they continue to fill the void left by Taulupe Faletau.
He was named man of the match in the opening game against Scotland, scoring a try, and continued his form throughout the tournament.
He carries the ball more, completes more line breaks than any other Welsh player and is level with Italy's Federico Luzza for the most lineouts won.
What should we do to beat France?
Wales next face France in Cardiff on March 10th.
Les Bleus are reeling from a 13-13 draw with Italy at home, with center Jonathan Danti likely to be suspended for a red card in that game.
There are also concerns about the fitness of fly-half Mathieu Jalibert.
“If Wales can deal with the power up front that comes at them through things like; [Uini] with atonio [Posolo] With Tuirangi, their game plan will work,” said Jackman, who coached in Grenoble in France for six years.
“After the draw with Italy, the French media and public will go after the team, but it will feel like a loss. The Bucks look miles away from the game and their discipline is poor. is.”
“Fabian Galthie seems very isolated right now because some of the coaching staff left after the World Cup. Apparently the atmosphere in the camp is terrible and they are playing like a team with a bad atmosphere.”
