Taulupe Faletau admits it is ‘hard to give your all’ amid Wales contract row

Wales star Taulupe Faletau says it is “hard to give your all” against the crushing contractual and financial backdrop that has engulfed Welsh regional rugby.

All four Welsh professional regions – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – face major funding cuts, leading to vastly-reduced contract offers for many players whose deals expire at the end of this season, and a player exodus appears inevitable.

Along with issues like Wales’ former 60-cap selection rule and fixed-variable contracts, off-field problems led to the threat of a players’ strike before the Guinness Six Nations clash against England last month.

Although a strike was averted and the England game went ahead as scheduled, Wales suffered a third successive Six Nations defeat.

And they now head to Rome for an appointment with Italy on Saturday, when another loss would effectively mean a first wooden spoon since Wales lost all five championship fixtures in 2003.

“It is just unfortunate, and the situation we are all in at the moment is not great for anyone involved,” said Cardiff number eight Faletau, who is set to win his 99th cap against the Azzurri.

“It’s not just Cardiff, it is all across the regions. It’s just a tough time we are stuck in at the moment.

“You are always going to try to put your best foot forward, but when things aren’t going well off the pitch it’s hard to give your all then.

“In rugby, we are all a family and are in it together at the end of the day. It is a tough period to see people struggling.”

Wales assistant coach Neil Jenkins, who was a member of the Bridgend-based Celtic Warriors squad disbanded after just one season in 2004, expressed sympathy with players caught up amid the current financial crisis.

Jenkins said: “It is not an