Welsh rugby bosses hope to complete before Christmas a review into Wales’ miserable Autumn Nations Series campaign that should shape whether Warren Gatland stays or leaves as head coach.
Gatland’s role is under intense scrutiny after world champions South Africa inflicted a 12th successive Test match defeat on Wales by winning 45-12 in Cardiff on Saturday.
It followed November losses to Fiji and Australia as Wales went an entire calendar year without winning a Test for the first time since 1937.
Whether Gatland, whose second stint in charge has yielded only a 25 per cent success-rate, remains at the helm for Wales’ daunting Six Nations opener against France in Paris on January 31 is a matter of intense debate.
The Welsh Rugby Union review will be led by chief executive Abi Tierney and include input from former players.
“We are already doing a huge amount of benchmarking on performance,” Tierney said.
“We have been doing that benchmarking and really understand where our performance challenges are, so it is about plugging the last three games into that data and looking at the system as a whole, seeing what is working and what can be improved.
“If not, are there things we can do to improve between now and the Six Nations?
“The big question for me is whether there is more we need to do, particularly with our regions, to ensure when the players are coming to us we’ve got the best possible chance of succeeding.
“We have got a number of rugby players on our board that will input into it. I’ve also had some ex-players agree to input into it.
“There will be a number of different inputs into it, not just me. I know how to do a good review, but I am no rugby expert, so I will be drawing on expertise for that.”
If Gatland, who is contracted through until the 2027 World Cup, does depart, then an interim head coach would take charge of Wales for the Six Nations campaign.
WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood added: “The Welsh public would expect us to do a review, and it’s important we own the performance and not limit it to one aspect, and that is Warren Gatland.
“He is a very important aspect, but this is a time when he is a part of it but not in the sole spotlight. This is our collective responsibility.
“This is not a review of Warren Gatland, I want to make that very clear, this is a review of the whole performance of the WRU.”
Gatland says he is still motivated for his job and wants to stay, with a key issue also surrounding a long-term WRU strategy for the game that is still being thrashed out through talks between the governing body and Wales’ four professional regions – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
“I think for us, from a Union’s perspective, there needs to be agreement with the regions. There needs to be some change,” Gatland said.
“I have gone into board meetings and spoken about us being courageous and bold with some of the decisions we potentially need to make to improve the game.
“I think there needs to be investment into the pathways, the academies and under-20s programme. That should be the lifeblood of the game in Wales.
“Since we disbanded the national academy in 2015, we are probably a reflection of how the under-20s programme hasn’t been as successful from that.
“I know the Union are talking about the strategy. There needs to be an agreement between the Union and regions to put some positive steps in place and affect change.
“It will take some time. It won’t happen overnight. I came away (from the South Africa game) thinking if these group of players can learn from it and put that amount of effort in, there is some hope going forward.”