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CARDIFF - Welsh rugby great Barry John has hit back at claims from Gareth Jenkins that the Wales coach's critics from the country's successful sides of the 1970s are naive and reactionary.
Jenkins won only his fourth match in 15 tests in charge when Wales beat Argentina 27-20 at the Millennium Stadium on the weekend.
In the buildup to the World Cup warmup match against the Pumas, he'd been heavily criticised for sending out an under-strength side for Wales' record 62-5 defeat against world champions England at Twickenham two weeks ago.
Jenkins, in a BBC television interview just before Sunday's kickoff, accused the Western Mail, Wales' national daily newspaper, of having an agenda against him.
But former Wales first five-eighths John, a key member of the Lions' victorious side in New Zealand in 1971, said Jenkins could hardly expect praise given his side's recent results. "I found it very disappointing to hear Gareth is getting a bit upset at some of the comments by myself and some of my peers," John told Wales on Sunday, for whom he is a columnist.
"I desperately hope that this is not the first sign of the pressure getting to him because if you look at his track record going into the World Cup, what does he expect people to write?"
John's fellow Wales on Sunday columnist Graham Price, a mainstay of the Wales front row in the 1970s, said: "The Wales team lapped up all the plaudits when they won the Grand Slam two years ago with virtually the same squad.
"That shows if today's Wales play to their full potential the team should be competing for the Six Nations Championship every year and qualify for the World Cup semifinal."
Reflecting on the match against Argentina, where Wales clung on at the finish to prevent the Pumas setting up what could have been an equalising score, John said: "Gareth Jenkins will feel what it's like to be proved wrong - as the Wales coach now fully understands the importance of wins in World Cup warm-ups.
"Jenkins, like many of his coaching peers, has dismissed the need for victories in such friendly work-outs ... but just the expression of relief among Wales' players at the final whistle in Cardiff tells its own story."
John highlighted the performance of No 10 successor James Hook, saying: "I can't over-emphasise just how important James Hook is to this Wales team as his tactical positioning, kicking and passing game is that of a first five-eighths mature beyond his years."
Wales conclude their warm-up programme against hosts France - who on Sunday beat England 22-9 in Marseille - at the Millennium Stadium this weekend and John warned: "Should Wales collapse against France in Cardiff, then it could be a case of back to square one."
Wales, who are in the same pool as Australia, begin their Cup programme against Canada in Nantes in three weeks.
- AFP
