Rugby legend Sir Ian McGeechan has spelt out his fears for Welsh rugby after dubbing the regions' performances in Europe this season as 'a train wreck'.
He warns Wales are hurtling backwards 'fast' and says the 'dark times' are creating a 'mood of despondency' here.
The former Lions boss expressed his concerns for the Welsh game as he surveyed a Heineken Cup final between La Rochelle and Leinster which McGeechan feels mirrors what has happened in the Six Nations, with France and Ireland the dominant forces.
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He says English clubs are lagging behind, Scottish sides are competitive, Italy are 'always scrapping to avoid being bottom of the pile', but reserves his harshest words for 'a fast-fading Wales.'
Assessing a woeful Euro campaign for the Ospreys, Scarlets, Cardiff and Dragons, McGeechan writes in a Telegraph column: "If the Scottish sides were consistently competitive, this year’s European competitions were an unmitigated train wreck for the Welsh.
"Not only did two of their three sides in the Champions Cup, Ospreys and Scarlets, fail to win a match, they failed to register a single try bonus or losing bonus point and had some ignominiously hefty defeats while finishing bottom of the two pools.
"Cardiff didn’t win a game either (although they were awarded a controversial walkover against Toulouse) but they at least collected a try bonus and losing bonus point in their home loss to Quins. Cardiff then dropped into the Challenge Cup, where they lost their only match.
"In fact the Challenge Cup was as disastrous for the Welsh as the Champions Cup. The Dragons not only lost every game, but they were well beaten by a Benetton side and were arguably outperformed by hapless and winless Zebre."
In a sombre message, McGeechan continued: "If Italy are making slow progress, Wales are heading in the wrong direction fast, with not one win between their four sides. With the South African and Irish provinces dominating the Champions Cup places from the URC, and the guaranteed Welsh place in the competition set to become a thing of the past, these are dark times in the Principality.
"Throw in the Six Nations defeat to Italy and their financial implosion, and it is little wonder there is a mood of despondency in Wales."
The Welsh failures, McGeechan feels, is the main blight on what he describes as an outstanding Champions Cup tournament this year, which he argues will be further enhanced with South African involvement next season.
He describes the final as "indicative of the state of play in European rugby. In an uncanny echo of the Six Nations, the French and Irish are duking it out for dominance, with England lagging behind, a clear third in the pecking order. Scotland are comfortably the most competitive of the three remaining teams, with a fast-fading Wales and perennial back markers Italy always scrapping to avoid being bottom of the pile.
"Not only have the best French and Irish teams been winning the vast majority of their games, they have been doing so emphatically, especially at the business end of the season. By contrast, neither English team in the quarter-finals came close to advancing to the semi-finals."
McGeechan says the success of France and Ireland is down to them "taking positive steps to ensure that their own young players are coming through."
