Wales home in on grand slam but what will life after Gatland bring? | Paul Rees

Victory over Scotland at Murrayfield is Wales’ prime focus but after a week spent skirmishing over a failed merger of two regions there is growing unease over the future

Before the start of his last Six Nations with Wales this year, Warren Gatland reflected on how they would do without him in 2020. A feature of his 12 years as the national head coach has been his ability to consistently get his players to rise above the general mediocrity of the country’s four regions who, since their inception in 2003, have lurched from one financial and political struggle to the next.

“It has been challenging at times,” said Gatland, a week before Wales began their campaign with a victory in Paris. “I’m a bit wary of where Wales are going to go in the future and what is going to happen. We need the regions to be successful by competing in Europe and the Pro14. Ireland are benefitting from the performances of their provinces and Wales need the regions to be doing that. There is no doubt that we are punching massively above our weight.”

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