If you printed out all the reviews currently taking place in Welsh rugby, then you could probably use them as compacted blocks of snow to build a new igloo, inside which WRU officials could shelter themselves from reality. The roof of the current one seems to have finally fallen in on those running the game, with national teams of both genders and all age groups hardly able to win a game.

The United Rugby Championship is back this weekend and for the Welsh regions it means a chance to move the gaze away from Wales’ woes. Not that the foursome have all been awesome themselves, but at least they are gaining the occasional win here and there, unlike the national team.

Liam Williams has joined Saracens for a second time, the London club have confirmed – meaning the Wales full-back should be free to return to the national squad for the Six Nations. Williams, 33, has agreed terms until the end of this season, returning to English domestic rugby following a stint with Japanese club Kubota Spears.

Swansea’s St Helen’s is a stadium filled to its vast capacity with the ghosts of sporting occasions past. Wales playing their first ever home international rugby union match way back in 1882.

While the Welsh Rugby Union consider whether to stick with their two highest paid rugby staff – head coach Warren Gatland and director of rugby Nigel Walker – England fans have been left choking over their breakkfasts over the news that RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney is to be paid £1.1m for the last financial year. That comes despite the governing body reporting record losses and making 42 staff redundant.

Warren Gatland has overseen a “disappointing” year according to the Welsh Rugby Union officials who will now decide whether the Wales coach remains in place. The Union is now set to undertake a comprehensive review of Gatland’s position – and that of the national team set-up more broadly – after an unprecedented period of poor results.

Warren Gatland is facing the sack as Wales coach – unless he can convince his former star player Jamie Roberts he should be allowed to continue. Gatland lost for the 12th time in a row on Sunday and the 45-12 defeat to South Africa means he is the first Wales coach for 87 years to go through an entire calendar year without winning. The buffeted Welsh Rugby Union will start their review process of the Autumn Series next week, with Roberts set to be a key figure.

Will Rowlands accepts that Wales find themselves in “a brutal situation” as they prepare to face South Africa following 11 successive Test defeats and raging speculation about their head coach’s future. Wales and Warren Gatland are behind the eight-ball ahead of an Autumn Nations Series finale that has landslide defeat written all over it.

Warren Gatland has handed the keys to No.10 to Sam Costelow and told him: No pressure, mate! None at all, except for the fact that Costelow will start at outside-half in a Wales team that has lost its previous 11 matches, is facing world champions South Africa, and has been selected by a coach who may be one defeat away from the sack.

Rob Howley still believes Warren Gatland is “the best coach in the world” and is backing him to pull Wales out of their worst losing run in their history. If the world champions South Africa end their international season with a win in Cardiff on Saturday it will condemn Wales to their 12th defeat in a row and make it the first winless year for the national side since 1937.

Craig Bellamy and Warren Gatland have more in common than simply being current Wales national coaches. They now share a similar history in their opening half a dozen matches in charge of their respective teams, games in which they both hit the ground, running – hard.

Warren Gatland says he “absolutely” has the desire to continue in his role as Wales head coach. Speculation continues to rage about Gatland’s future after a record run of 11 successive Test match defeats. World champions South Africa are next up for Wales on Saturday, with the Springboks overwhelming favourites to emphatically extend that losing sequence.

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has insisted that under-pressure Wales counterpart Warren Gatland has not become “bad” overnight. Gatland has overseen a Welsh national team record of 11 straight Test defeats, with losses in November to Fiji and Australia after claiming the wooden spoon in last season’s Six Nations.

Australia used their power and panache to outclass Wales in a difficult afternoon in Cardiff which left Warren Gatland questioning his own future as coach. But Wales actually battled valiantly from 19-0 down to score 13 points and put some scoreboard pressure on the Wallabies at half time.

Australia coach Joe Schmidt insists there will be no talk of a Grand Slam tour until they are over the big challenges – Scotland and Ireland. Having disposed of England and Wales, the Wallabaies chief was not getting carried away by thoughts of a sweep of the home nations just because his team thrashed Wales 52-20 in Cardiff on Sunday.

Warren Gatland will talk to his wife and family before deciding whether or not to stand down as Wales coach. Gatland is reviewing his position at the helm of the team after they slumped to a 52-20 defeat to Australia on Sunday to register their worst run of results.

Warren Gatland expects to meet with Welsh Union officials to discuss his future over the next few days after suffering another crushing defeat. The Wales coach appears to be nearing the end of his time in charge, allough he also insisted he still has the stomach for the fight despite presiding over a record 11-match losing run – the worst in Welsh rugby history. An emphatic eight-tries-to-two, 52-20 defeat to Australia at the Principality Stadium may prove to be the final straw for Gatland – not a knockout blow in itself, but the latest in a series of repeated punches that have left him questioning whether it might be best if he is removed from the firing line.

Could this be 11 and all out for Warren Gatland as he tackles his toughest test after losing ten consecutive matches? Gatland’s first reign saw him win 85 from 151 games with a 56% general win record, 60% record in World Cup matches and 71% in the Six Nations. So, the head coach had credit in the bank when he returned for his second stint after guiding Wales to four Six Nations titles and two World Cup semi finals.

Will Rowlands insists the Wales players are determined not to allow themselves to become the worst losing team in the country’s history. That fate awaits wilting Wales on Sunday if they suffer defeat at home to Australia. It would be their 11th in succession, beating the low water mark of 10 inflicted on former coach Steve Hansen’s no-hopers in 2002-03.

Four law trials aimed at speeding up the game, reducing time-wasting and “enhancing the fan experience” will be introduced on a global trial across all competitions that start from Jan. 1 2025, World Rugby said on Thursday after its Council approved the changes. The adaptations will apply to competitions such as next year’s Six Nations, British and Irish Lions and other summer tours, but not to those such as the English Premiership and French Top 14 that would have already started in 2024.