Dropping to three regions would benefit Welsh rugby – Davies

Wales men’s head coach Warren Gatland’s position is under review after an historically bad year.

Gatland’s side have gone a whole calendar year without winning a Test, which has not happened since 1937.

The international retirement of key figures in recent years – such as Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, George North, Ken Owens and Dan Biggar – forced Gatland and his predecessor Wayne Pivac to turn to younger, less experienced players.

Davies pointed to the record of the nation’s Under-20s team, adding that a lack of success at academy level has had an impact on the senior side.

“The quality we have put out in the last 18 months, as Welsh rugby, has not been to the standard we would like,” said Davies.

“If you look at the Under-20s over the last eight years, the best they have done [in the Under-20s Six Nations] is third.

“They’ve been in the bottom half of the U20s Six Nations for seven years feeding into the men’s team, which has then not had that quality.

“There is more to be done at an academy level.”