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Steffan Thomas

Gatland must tear up Wales' front five, it's been a problem for years

When commentating on a match involving South Africa in the 1990's the dulcet tones of the legendary Bill McLaren said: "When they get going, it's like watching cattle stampede. Huge fellows who thunder around the paddock like mad rhinos."

That's what it must have felt like for Wales' forwards on Saturday who were brushed aside ruthlessly by an Ireland pack who seemed to get over the gain-line at will.

Amid all the attempts to second guess Warren Gatland's selection for Wales' trip to face a rejuvenated Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, the one area of improvement which is non-negotiable is the front five.

READ MORE: The reasons Wales were blown away by Ireland amid errors, indiscipline and frail defence

Wales were taken to the cleaners in this department by the Irish, and if we are being brutally honest, it has been an Achilles heel since 2019.

Ireland made significant metres in the first quarter of the game with the likes of Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan, and James Ryan going forward at a rate of knots.

Wales were far too passive in defence, with their linespeed, although this improved after the break, not up to scratch.

During the second-half Wales had far more possession, but that is a deceptive stat, because they still lost the collisions which meant they weren't able to get over the gain-line to generate the quick ball which would have stressed Ireland's defence.

During Gatland's first stint in charge the emphasis was all on power, doing the basics well with regards set-piece, a low error rate, and clean discipline, while their defence was almost impenetrable at times.

Wales are a long way away from those levels at the moment, and while there are some calls for a reshuffle of the back-line, that is missing the point because the root cause of their problems resides in the forwards.

While Gatland had a number of carriers in his squad between 2008-2019 which allowed him to adopt a power game, he hasn't really got the same riches this time around.

Alun Wyn Jones was often lauded, and rightly so, but he also had other top international class locks to select from such as Ian Evans, Luke Charteris, Ian Gough, Bradley Davies, and later on Jake Ball.

They are desperately missing the dynamism and the power of Racing 92-bound second-row Will Rowlands, and you can bet your top dollar on Gatland fighting tooth and nail to persuade the Professional Rugby Board to grant special dispensation to select the 30-year-old for the Rugby World Cup.

But back to present matters and the boilerhouse is one area where Gatland will surely be considering a major shake-up.

Alun Wyn Jones has been ruled out of the Scotland test after failing a head injury assessment which saves Gatland from making what would have been a tough but correct decision.

As great a player as Jones has been, he looked out on his feet on Saturday and the time has come to put faith in Dafydd Jenkins even if he was fit.

What changes would you make? Pick your Wales team now

At 6ft 7in and 17st 13lbs, Jenkins has the physical profile to make an impact at test level. The 20-year-old is a strong ball carrier, and astute lineout forward, while he first captained Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership at the tender age of 19.

Gatland might be reluctant to change both second-rows but Adam Beard's place could come under scrutiny. The 42 cap international has been a solid performer but for all the weight he provides in the scrum, and his excellence at defending driving lineouts he is another who currently lacks the carrying game and the dynamism which is needed at test level.

The form Welsh qualified lock in regional rugby this season has been Rhys Davies.

Davies, 24, is himself a physical specimen at 6ft 6in and 18st 3lbs, and was the unsung hero in the Ospreys beating both French champions Montpellier and English kings Leicester Tigers to reach the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time since 2010.

Davies has a real nasty edge about him which is currently missing in this Welsh front five and must surely be blooded during this Six Nations, if not at Murrayfield this Saturday.

The breakdown was another area where Ireland played Wales off the park during their disappointing opening round defeat, although it was largely down to the front five getting battered.

Wales failed to slow Ireland's ruck speed down and were often picked off and penalised at the breakdown.

Given the fluidity and the pace with which Scotland attacked during their famous victory over England at Twickenham, Wales will need to dominate this area if they are to have any hope of coming out on top.

World class pair Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau were far from their best last weekend while young tyro Jac Morgan was the pick of the back-row trio against Ireland.

Wales seemed to lack balance in this area and looked much better when Leicester Tigers star Tommy Reffell took to the field.

Reffell packs a real punch physically and is probably the best exponent of breakdown play in the squad.

This is tantamount to rugby heresy in Wales but Wales might be better served using Tipuric as an impact player off the bench with Reffell starting to counter the breakdown threat of both Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson.

Looking ahead to the World Cup, Gatland should give the head of the Welsh Rugby Union's Exiles programme Gareth Davies the urgent task of finding a South African, English or New Zealand tighthead with a Welsh grandmother because this is an area where Wales are struggling badly.

The Ospreys' destructive scrummager Tom Botha should come into the equation when he qualifies for Wales in the summer.

With the World Cup a mere seven month away, Gatland needs to find a very quick fix to Wales' issues up-front if the early days of his second tenure in charge are to be a success.

READ MORE:

Live Wales Six Nations Q&A: Should Gatland now make major changes for Scotland?

New World Rugby rankings see Scotland reach highest ever position as Wales cast further adrift

Wales legend calls for team to be ripped up and eight changes made

Sam Warburton can't contain his laughter as presenter suffers live TV nightmare

The fans' Wales team to face Scotland in the Six Nations: Pick your side now

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