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DAVID MOFFETT hailed it as the return of Wales to the top tier of world rugby after they scared New Zealand and eventual champions England at the 2003 World Cup in Australia.

The then chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union could hardly contain his delight as he talked excitedly about how the likes of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia were delighted at the rebirth.

Wales nearly beat the All Blacks for the first time since 1953 the following year, unluckily losing 26-25 at the Millennium Stadium, and went down by just two points against South Africa.

A Six Nations Grand Slam – Wales’ first since for 28 years – followed and there was another in 2008.

We hoped the country had finally grasped professionalism and the humiliating hammerings had ended.

There had been the record 96-13 loss to South Africa at Pretoria in 1998, a 63-6 battering against Australia in Brisbane in 1991 and 54-9 to New Zealand in 1988.

But it wasn’t just the southern hemisphere giants who needed to bring a cricket scoreboard with them.

England had put 60 on Wales at Twickenham in 1998, France scored 51 unanswered points at Wembley the same year, while Ireland rattled up 54 in Dublin in 2002.

Apart from the odd blemish, most notably the feeble 62 Wales conceded at Twickenham during a warm-up for the 2007 World Cup, it’s been rare for the men in red to throw in the towel.

Not any more I’m afraid as Wales Under-20 suffered a mind-boggling and record 92-0 defeat to their New Zealand counterparts at the Junior World Championship in Italy – the widest losing margin the country has suffered at any level.

True, the Baby Blacks are the pacesetters at the level, having won all three previous tournaments without losing a match, but Wales should never lose to them by so many.

Hosts Italy did better, only going down 64-7, and Welsh chances of reaching the semi-finals are gone because of their shocking points difference.

New Zealand’s current crop of youngsters might be outstanding, but the sad part about it is they weren’t even tested by Wales. It was an utter embarrassment.

Hardly any of the Welsh team came out of the Pool A clash with their reputation intact.

One who did, blindside flanker Ed Siggery, he of the short fuse who did mar his effort by needlessly getting himself sin-binned for throwing an opponent after the whistle, announced yesterday he’s off to English Heineken Cup qualifiers London Irish.

The 19-year-old was the form forward during the Under-20 Six Nations but hasn’t had a real chance at regional level.

He’s been on the books of the Scarlets but has been studying at the University of Glamorgan and shining for Pontypridd.

Siggery, 20 next month, has decided to join fellow Scarlet and Wales Under-20 cap Steve Shingler over the border next season.

Who could blame them? They are desperate for better rugby and, even if they fail to make the London Irish first team, the English reserve league is hugely competitive and vibrant.

Watch this week's Focus on Rugby with former Wales under 20s coach Phil Davies

Their plight graphically illustrates the failure of rugby in Wales, from the very top to the bottom.

Instead of all pulling together for the good of the sport, the WRU and the regions have had different agendas.

Central contracts and a player draft were a must when union went professional in 1995, but Wales is still waiting.

The WRU has failed to address the problems afflicting the game, namely the quality of the coaching in age-grade rugby, the gulf between the regions and the Premiership, and not backed the introduction of regional A teams.

Instead of the Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets having second teams, which would have given the likes of Siggery and Shingler an opportunity, Welsh Premiership clubs have taken part and largely been out of their depth in the British and Irish Cup.

What’s the point in the semi-professional clubs facing Leinster A, Munster A, Ulster A and professional clubs from England’s second tier?

Far better for Wales’ regions to have A teams and additional fixtures against Leicester A, Gloucester A...

As it stands, Wales are going backwards fast. They have won just five of their last 19 fixtures at senior level, finishing fourth in the last three Six Nations, while the regions flopped in the Heineken Cup and Magners League last season.

And, most worryingly of all, the Under-20s have slipped. When Chris Davey, nowadays head of rugby at Uwic, was in charge of the Under-21s, as it was then, Wales were the envy of Europe.

But they could only finish joint third in this season’s Six Nations and their results have dropped off at the Junior World Championship.

Fourth on home soil in 2008 with the likes of Leigh Halfpenny Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies, Josh Turnbull, Dan Biggar, Ryan Bevington, Jason Tovey, Rhys Webb and Justin Tipuric in the team, they were sixth in 2009 and seventh last year.

New Zealand’s Baby Blacks showed the class of 2011 how to play simple rugby effectively, doing the basics well, playing with their brains, with skill and at pace.

The Kiwis concentrate on skills and handling ability – touch rugby is huge – until they are about 16 and know using the ball to beat the defence is still the easiest way to score tries.

I returned from reporting on the Lions tour of New Zealand and, having watched club rugby Down Under, convinced the biggest difference between them and us was their vastly superior skills.

You only have to watch a junior rugby training session here – and this isn’t a dig at the volunteer coaches because they are only implementing what they have been told from above – to see 10-year-olds running into tackle bags and looking for contact.

There’s also an over-obsession on pumping iron, so much so we are producing gym monkeys instead of skilled rugby players.

It has to change or we’re finished. The WRU has to show some leadership and act now or we are going to slip further and further behind until the likes of New Zealand won’t want to play us.

Sad but that’s the position we find ourselves in today.