Jenkins introduces ‘honesty sessions’ in bid to improve Wales

WALES coach Gareth Jenkins has revealed how he has introduced honesty sessions into his side’s post-match analysis.

After going down to Ireland 19-9 – three tries to nil – in the opening RBS 6 Nations Championship game at Cardiff on Sunday, Jenkins told his players to have a good look at themselves in the mirror ahead of Saturday’s trip to Murrayfield. Jenkins is not one to hide behind excuses and is keen for openness in the Wales camp.

“We weren’t clinical enough against Ireland and we have to have that honesty among ourselves,” said Jenkins, who will unveil his side to play Scotland tomorrow.

“For all the good work we did, we didn’t do enough to win the game. We have to have honesty. There have to be home truths – we can’t hide behind things. We will grow that ability to share that honesty, because that will be a vehicle which will make you and improve you.

“It’s about sitting down and identifying the areas of the game where you are not as efficient as you could be. It’s what you might call an honesty session.”

Apart from believing they had good cause for a couple of penalty tries against Ireland and had complaints about the way New Zealand referee Kelvin Deaker controlled the contact area, Wales insist they had the chance to beat the Six Nations favourites.

“There is nothing worse than when you feel you have missed an opportunity,” said Jenkins.

“The frustration was that we played well enough to beat Ireland. I felt that and the players felt that. It wasn’t Ireland at their best. Having said that they defended well and their defence worked because they controlled the contact area.

“We did have overlaps, and we can count ourselves unlucky that we didn’t have a penalty try off a driving line-out and there was that (Simon) Easterby tackle on (Chris) Czekaj which could have also been a penalty try.”

Despite taking the positives out of the Ireland defeat, Jenkins has warned it will be difficult to come away from Edinburgh with a victory, believing Scotland will improve from their 42-20 defeat to England at Twickenham.

“Scotland were disappointing and I think Frank Hadden will accept that,” added Jenkins. “And when you get as comprehensively exposed as they were in their game, Frank will have actually had a lot to work on.

“I’m sure he will have closed a lot of those exposure areas down. I don’t think we are going to have the same areas of opportunity.

“They are going to come out with a different mind-set, with a lot more to play for and a lot more to prove to themselves and their nation.

“We have to be realistic about what we are going into.”