WALES are really up against it now after they suffered the Six Nations start nobody wanted – defeat, not just any old defeat but a loss to England on their home soil.

The fact that it was the first hurdle in World Cup year made it an even more difficult pill to swallow, and it could well take some time to recover from this shattering blow to morale and confidence.

But time is the one thing Wales don’t possess, for they must get straight back on the horse and head for Murrayfield this week to take on Scotland on Saturday.

That could well prove to be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire, for though the Scots were beaten by an often inspired French team at the weekend they managed to score three tries at the Stade de France, no mean feat in itself.

Coming on top of their landmark victory over South Africa in the autumn series it showed the Scots could be on more of the right track than Wales.

Make no bones about it, Scotland will be one stiff hurdle at Murrayfield where they come out like dervishes and so often seem to have 16 men on the field.

Murrayfield is littered with ghosts from the past, as far better Welsh teams than the current one have had to fly home with their tails firmly between their legs.

But Wales have to pick themselves up off the floor in a matter of days and focus on trying to win their next two away games against the Scots and then Italy if they are to get back on course and restore some pride.

Friday night against England was so lacklustre it beggared belief. After all the hype, all the build-up they went out with a whimper rather than a bang.

Mistakes galore continue, aimless kicking is now becoming a nightmare while there remains so little traditional Welsh flair behind.

I feared before the game that the centre partnership of Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies wouldn’t work and that Stephen Jones and Mike Phillips were too pedestrian, too predictable at half back. And so it proved.

Roberts is like a fish out of water at 13, he is a 12 or nothing, while the creative skills of James Hook are badly needed closer to the action, though to imagine he will suddenly be the Welsh saviour if he plays at outside half is fanciful.

For the guy hasn’t played there at the highest level for two years and to throw him in there now and expect that to solve Welsh problems at a stroke is asking too much.

Novertheless, the choice of Hook at 10 and the restoration of Lee Byrne to full back, even if not in his best form, is probably the least coach Warren Gatland should announce today, with Ryan Jones set to start this time at the expense of Andy Powell, whether he is fit or not.

But other than that there’s not a great deal Gatland can do, which is why I fear Wales will be on the wrong end of it against Scotland.

The reality is Welsh rugby is in a bit of a trough at the moment at national and regional level, and it’s going to take something special to lift it out of the doldrums or World Cup year will be a disaster.