For years, the WRU and wider Welsh game have been hiding behind the national side either delivering the best they can be, punching above their weight or living a charmed life.
Regardless of the reason, its kept the Millennium Stadium full and the money flowing in.
For years, the Celtic league (and its descendants) have been talked down in tandem with a weird infatuation of jumping in bed with the English.
Various excuses have been used - few (none?) of which carry much weight.
So attendances have been muck for a long time, with little sense of increased support base. The regions are now 20 years old.
Anyone younger than 25 years of age will have no real memory of anything else. That is prime audience for a Friday or Saturday night; young men and women with disposable income and no dependencies in to town to watch the game with mates, grab a couple of pints at the match then off out after.
They do it for the national side, so the potential is there.
Complete **** show for decades.