Anyone who has been watching Wales since Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards took over the Welsh rugby side in late 2007 has to have been impressed with what they have managed to do. They took a side that, just a few months previously, had been knocked out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in the pool stages by relative rugby minnows Fiji and led them to a Grand Slam title, beating all before them.
Since then they have competed well against South Africa and New Zealand before being the only Northern hemisphere team to beat one of the trinations in the '08 Autumn Internationals when they beat Australia.
Much of this success has been based on a powerful and well structured game plan of the type that Gatland and Edwards devised when they were working together at London Wasps a few years previously - one of the most successful coaching teams in the history of English club rugby, winning the Guiness Premiership a number of times as well as the coveted Heineken cup.
But there are concerns that there has been little else to Wales' rugby game other than power and structure. Against England Wales were 'found out' by tactics designed to neutralize the Welsh strength. Wales proved too strong in the end and Warren Gatland assured fans afterwards that there was a plan B but that he wanted to prove a point to his players that their power game could take on anyone.
But the French game in paris has shown us otherwise. Like the England game the French attacked the Welsh power game head on, and with more success. They smashed players backwards, attacked the Welsh tactic of putting only a few bodies into rucks and defended the channels like their lives depended on it - and got the win.
Whilst Wales, despite having a poor game, were still in it at the end that has to have been more by luck than judgement.
The concern was that not once was the playing style changed. ball was continually kicked to an attacking back 3, the channels were constantly run and rucks were still being under committed player wise. What the game needed was a change of direction, but there wasnt one.
Part of the problem is playing personel. Stephen Jones, Jamie Roberts and Tom Shanklin are all worthy international players - but they are just too similar to play in a backline together - all 3 like to straighten the line, there is a lack of creativity.
In the end Gatland did throw on Gavin Henson and James Hook, 2 hugely creative talents, but it was a case of too little too late.
There is real concern in Wales that there is no plan B, and on current evidence it seems that is the case. But Warren Gatland is a world class coach so I am sure he is aware of the problem and working on it now.
More opinions on Plan B, and welsh rugby in general can be found on the Welsh rugby blog - the home of opinionated rants about all things related to rugby in Wales
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