GIVE Gareth Jenkins the job now. The Llanelli coach is so obviously the man for the Wales coaching post and the delay in appointing Steve Hansen's successor is getting embarrassing.

Obviously, there is a procedure to go through, and, having looked at all the applicants for the post, a shortlist has got to be drawn up.

Then there is an interview process to go through before an appointment is made.

But though it might be discourteous to those who have applied to be Wales coach, why bother with all that?

Why don't the WRU just save themselves the time effort and trouble, not to mention finance in bringing people from different parts of the world? Why don't they just appoint Jenkins and be done with it?

Even before Sunday's monumental achievement in winning at Northampton in a memorable Heineken Cup tie, the WRU seemed to be delaying, almost as if they were reluctant to appoint the Llanelli man.

Originally, we were told the interviews would be conducted soon after the mid-January deadline, and that the new man would be in place by the time of the Six Nations this month so that he could track the event and the players closely.

But we are in February now, the Six Nations starts next week and what have we got from the WRU? Nothing at all is the answer. Why ever not? Jenkins' record in the Heineken Cup is way ahead of everyone else, and so is his list of victories in the Welsh Cup competition.

He has taken Llanelli to two European semi-finals where the Scarlets were cruelly denied by lucky kicks, a dropped goal off another player and a long-range penalty via a post and an upright.

Now Llanelli are in the quarter-finals for the sixth time, the latest after that glorious victory at Northampton which was a triumph for planning, for guts, determination and particularly memorable for that wonder individual try by Barry Davies (why isn't he in the Wales squad?).

We all know that Jenkins is his own man and that he can upset authority, but only because he sticks to his guns and he believes in what he's doing. If that upsets those in charge, so be it.

He is so clearly the man for the job, especially with Mike Ruddock out of the running, that it is mystifying why the WRU don't just appoint him here and now.

His record speaks for itself, and this is the time for him to get the top job because he has achieved everything he can with Llanelli, minus one more mighty effort, this time in a bid to land the European crown.

Just as it is time for Jenkins to be Wales coach, so it's right that Ruddock concentrates on his role with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

As I've said many times, Ruddock has done a great job moulding the Dragons with his single-minded approach after all the off-field problems which almost led to their demise.

He has got the team playing to a level that put them into third place in the Celtic League with a record of six wins in seven games, including two notable Heineken Cup victories over Ulster and Stade Francais, both at home.

Not bad, as Ruddock says, for a team of rejects, referring to the jibes made about the squad.

But now he faces another task, and I don't mean simply ensuring the Dragons qualify for the Heineken Cup again next season, by finishing above the last Welsh team in the Celtic League.

The many fans who travelled to Belfast for Friday night's return Heineken Cup tie against Ulster - and there were around 750 of them - were all of one view.

They had seen the limitations of the Dragons team exposed, namely a lack of penetration in the back division, and they are all calling for new blood, which is yet another headache for Tony Brown now that he has returned to the fold.

The problem for Ruddock will be to instill the necessary belief and confidence into the squad to carry on where they left off in the Celtic League with a convincing victory over Borders at Galashiels.

Since then the Dragons have lost three times in a row, against admittedly tough opposition, for the first time, and, on two of those occasions, they didn't even registered a point, at Stade Francais and Ulster.

The players have got to forget about that and quickly rediscover some spark in time for a run of three successive Friday night Celtic League games, against Leinster, Llanelli Scarlets and Neath-Swansea Ospreys.

The Dragons can't possibly get into a losing frame of mind, and, knowing Ruddock and his focus, especially as he has decided to concentrate all his efforts on this role, he won't allow that to happen.

The signing of Bobby Skinstad ought to help in that aim without detracting one iota from the efforts of all the other back row forwards in the squad. But he will bring fresh legs and a new zest to the table, apart from the benefits of all his experience gained through 34 caps for South Africa, 10 of them as captain.

The Dragons can't possibly fall backwards or stagnate now - they've got too much going for them.