Gatland hits the 50-mark for Wales

UNLESS they change the habit of a lifetime in Australia over the next fortnight, Wales will be saddled with their longest losing run for more than 20 years.

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Should the fifth series in Wallaby country starting in Sydney on Saturday go the way of the previous four, the visitors' default position about preparing for the 2027 World Cup will sound all the more like a lame excuse for losing Test matches.

The seven already consigned to history, from Argentina in the quarter-final last autumn to South Africa last week via a barren Six Nations, have been taken on the chin with commendable stoicism by those fans understanding the critical condition of their national sport.

Even they can only take so much.

Their tolerance is unlikely to last much longer should their team lose in Sydney and again in Melbourne the following week without any visible signs of improvement.

At the World Cup in Lyon last September, Wales didn't merely beat the Wallabies. They walloped the team Eddie Jones sent out 40-6, a thrashing which exposed their reputation to a trashing, justifiably so.

A great deal has happened since then. For a start, the Aussies have hired Joe Schmidt, the New Zealander who put Ireland on the road to the top of the world rankings in a fashion which prompted one disaffected squad member to describe him as 'the ultimate control freak'.

Wales have lost so many of their rampaging team from the triumphant occasion in France that only one third will be involved next week: Liam Williams, Nick Tompkins, Gareth Davies, Gareth Thomas and Aaron Wainwright. None of those trying to keep track of the comings and goings will be the least bit surprised to learn that so few remain.