Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Anthony Woolford

Wales' arrival at the Principality Stadium didn't go according to plan for Wayne Pivac and Byron Hayward

Not everything went according to plan for the Welsh coaching team as they bask in the glory of a Six Nations job well done in Cardiff on Saturday.

While on-field handling stats in the 42-0 thumping of Italy may have made pleasant reading for the Welsh coaching team, it certainly wasn't a similar story on their arrival at the Principality Stadium.

Because in the full glare of the BBC TV cameras, the seemingly straightforward transfer of a mobile phone between head coach Wayne Pivac and his defensive boss Byron Hayward, went horribly wrong.

So much so it was a wonder if Hayward's phone survived the tumble down the steps of the team bus to receive any congratulations, via text afterwards, on keeping Italy to nil in a workmanlike defensive show from the 2019 Six Nations champions.

The 50-year-old from Blaina, who played for Gloucester, Llanelli, Abertillery, Ebbw Vale, Newbridge, Newport and Pontypool, as well as winning two Wales caps, made a brave attempt to stop the mobile being first off the team bus, but to no avail.

At least it was the only mishap of the day for the Welsh coaches and Hayward in particular having massive boots to fill with the Grand Slam champions in Shaun Edwards.

"Byron is working very, very hard like all the coaches are. He is working with the boys individually as well as collectively to make sure they understand their roles," said Pivac.

"We are doing a lot of work on decision-making and I am sure when we review the game there will be times when we didn't make the best of decisions.

"There is plenty to work on but I am very pleased for Byron because he is a guy that is working away in the background at his craft and doing a pretty good job."

And skipper Alun Wyn Jones added: "Byron has had a few plaudits and this just puts the pressure on for the next one.

"He has probably had the hardest shoes to fill and we've got to keep doing that. Ultimately this was the end of the start, and it was a positive one."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.