Strike threat caused ‘significant split’ in Wales squad, admits Warren Gatland

Warren Gatland has revealed that a threat of possible player strike action before Wales’s Six Nations game against England caused “quite a significant split” and “tension” within his squad.

Wales head to Rome for a Six Nations assignment against Italy on Saturday after losing their opening three games. Another defeat could mean a first Six Nations wooden spoon for 20 years, given that Wales’s final fixture is against France in Paris.

A crushing contractual and financial backdrop has engulfed Welsh regional rugby, with all four professional teams – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – facing major funding cuts, leading to vastly reduced contract offers for many players whose deals expire at the end of this season. A player exodus appears inevitable.

Along with thorny subjects such as Wales’s former 60-cap national selection rule and fixed-variable contracts, off-field problems led to the prospect of a players’ strike before England’s Cardiff visit last month. Although a strike was averted and the game went ahead as scheduled, with Steve Borthwick’s team winning 20-10, Gatland said: “In terms of the stuff that was going on off the field, that definitely had an impact. There was quite a significant split in the group over which way to go, and I think that definitely caused some tension within the group for a couple of weeks.

“I think if things do get signed and get sorted and we get Welsh rugby back on the right track, it will be positive for everyone. Time was the healer. It was definitely quite fractious, which is understandable because people have different opinions.

“I don’t have an issue with that, but sometimes that can create tension and on reflection that definitely happened with guys having strong views one way