ROBIN DAVEY SAYS: It's not all doom and gloom in Welsh rugby (From Campaign Series)

ROBIN DAVEY SAYS: It's not all doom and gloom in Welsh rugby

6:20am Tuesday 30th November 2010 in Latest sport

LET’S look at the glass half full first – not that awful phrase taking the positives – and say though Wales were winless through the autumn series they still have every chance in the Six Nations, and they’ve got some star backs to return.

They pushed Australia and South Africa all the way, they were way below strength for the draw against Fiji and they had a golden opportunity to beat the All Blacks at 13-12 down against 14 men for 10 minutes.

Along the way the pack developed into a truly formidable force capable of taking on the best. They gave the respected Springbok eight a bit of a hurry up and look what they did to England on Saturday.

England are renowned for the edge their pack brings to the game yet South Africa pretty much demolished them only a fortnight after Wales gave them all they wanted and more.

The All Blacks may have beaten Wales for the 24th successive time and a score of five tries to one is comprehensive in anyone’s language, but they struggled for possession, line-outs apart, as the Welsh pack gave them a fairly rough ride.

There weren’t that many scrums, but those which did take place were dictated by the Welsh front row where Lions trio Gethin Jenkins, new captain Matthew Rees and Adam Jones enhanced their reputation even further.

And back row trio Dan Lydiate, Ryan Jones and Sam Warburton maintained the physicality, losing little in comparison with the All Blacks breakaway unit.

Wales gave the three southern hemisphere countries a run for their money though they were without a number of world class backs, Lions all of them.

Taking on the three giants is difficult enough at any time, but trying to get the better of them without Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Shane Williams (for two of them) and the task becomes even harder.

All are due to return for the Six Nations, Williams for the second part of it, which will obviously give Wales a big lift and ought to translate the work of the pack into points and victories.

And coach Warren Gatland clearly can’t wait for Gavin Henson to be dumped out of the Strictly Come Dancing programme and get his feet under a different kind of table, the one he’s supposed to be best at and start to show some form for new club Saracens.

In case you haven’t realised I’m not his biggest fan, believe he’s been over indulged and can’t make his mind up whether he wants to be a rugby player or some kind of minor celebrity.

But there’s no denying he’s got talent when it comes to rugby if none at all elsewhere and an in-form, fully committed Henson would be an asset to Wales.

So given the performance of the Welsh pack this autumn and the return of several key backs all is by no means lost looking ahead to the Six Nations in the new year.

So much for the glass half full, now let’s look at the half empty version.

Given the way the All Blacks stormed to a Grand Slam of victories over the home countries, the way Scotland were smashed by them in particular, the lack of consistency by England and the unconvincing form of Ireland, though they did give it the gun against New Zealand, you have to say the Six Nations is very much second division.

It’s appeal is enduring, grounds are packed out in a way they aren’t for the November Tests against the southern hemisphere nations and fans flock to all parts to watch the games, or view them on TV in the pub, saving up for two years to make the trek.

But when it comes to the actual standard of rugby it makes barely a ripple on the world scene and will count for very little when it comes to World Cup time next September.

There’s about as much chance of one of the home countries winning the competition – or making the final for that matter – as Henson has of winning Strictly.

So all this ‘there are positives’ for the teams as they head for the Six Nations is so much hot air by the various national coaches.

And though Wales gave all three major opponents a bit of a fright this month they lost the lot, and they couldn’t even beat the Fijians, who they meet again in the World Cup along with the equally physical Samoans and South Africa (ouch!).

They have now gone seven games without a victory and they have managed just two wins in their last 13 fixtures, hardly the stuff of Six Nations champions or of a side destined to make waves in the World Cup.

And their inability to take advantage of the situation in the second half when they had the All Blacks briefly on the ropes bordered on the criminal.

So there we have it, the optimistic outlook or the pessimistic version. Which one do you take?