A nation watches and waits

Wales in crisis: Rarely has a team or its newly installed coach played for such high stakes, writes Gerry Thornley

Two points in the pivotal weekend of the Six Nations is scarcely the half of it. At stake is the support of the Welsh rugby public, for if Wales' season goes pear-shaped it is not inconceivable the disenchantment of the travelling support would be quickly exceeded by that back home.

"Bring back Mike" (Ruddock) banners could not be ruled out.

Wales' season and whole rapport with their public could swing violently either way, with Sunday's performance going a long way toward deciding which route this suddenly fragile relationship will take.

Amid a prevailing mood that the erstwhile assistant and skills coach Scott Johnson, now newly installed as caretaker coach, along with senior players prompted Mike Ruddock's departure, the latter yesterday issued proceedings against the Welsh Rugby Union for constructive dismissal. Just another day, then, in this Welsh soap opera.

Yet, Johnson maintained the players had nothing to reproach themselves for. "I can't speak for the man in the street and I don't know what has been written or said, nor do I really care," said the straight-talking Aussie.

"In the time that I've been here, I've seen the dark and the light side of this team. I've seen them in their darkest hours and their lightest hours, but through it all I've seen a team that has represented a culture, a team that has made me leave family and leave home to represent it.

"This team doesn't have to prove anything to any fair-minded Welshman, because they have proved it over the period that I've been here," he added, clearly conscious of the potential backlash.

"They are the hardest-working bunch of kids I've been involved with and I've seen their growth. So, they have nothing to prove, and if anyone wants to say otherwise they are coming from a position of ignorance rather than knowledge."

The affection from his players is evidently reciprocated, and he is apparently coveted by the new Wallabies coach John Connolly, but Johnson reiterated his future will be dictated by family matters: "Wales has become a big part of my life and I am desperate not to leave, but other issues are on the table that go beyond rugby and my life."

He also implied he did not actively pursue Ruddock's job. "I had the opportunity to apply for the job before. I chose not to do that, but the sequence of events has thrown this at me now.

"If somebody can come up with a person that fits the bill for this team who is better and it means I stay number two, I'd be happy to do that.

"I don't go chasing for it. But if there's no other person there that fits that bill and they think I'm the best and I've got the support of the appropriate people, then I'd do that."

Fergus McFadden, Michael Essex and Seán O'Brien have been brought into the Ireland Under-21 team to play Wales at Dubarry Park tomorrow.

IRELAND UNDER 21 (v Wales, Athlone, tomorrow 7.35pm): F Carr (Blackrock Coll); P Durcan (Galwegians), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins), F McFadden (UCD), M Williams (Bristol/Hartpury Coll); C Doyle (Garryowen), P Marshall (Ballynahinch); D Hurley (UCC), S Philpott (Belfast Harlequins), P Doran-Jones (Dublin Univ), D Toner (Lansdowne), D Touhy (Gloucester/Hartpury Coll), M Essex (UCC), E Uzoigwe (Hartpury Coll), S O'Brien (UCD). Replacements: S Cronin (Shannon), C Black (Worcester/Hartpury College), D McGowan (Buccaneers), B Holland (UCC), D Williams (UCC), T Gleeson (Cork Con), J Sexton (St Mary's College).