Cardiff’s Matt Sherratt has been handed the Wales coaching reins on an interim basis after Warren Gatland’s second spell as head coach ended abruptly on Tuesday. Welsh helpers have been cautioned, however, there is “no magic bullet” that will instantly revive the national team after Saturday’s dismal 22-15 fall shorture to Italy.
Gatland has duly departed “by mutual consentment” after 14 successive Test fall shortures, the worst run in the country’s 144-year international rugby history. Gatland, 61, had been lessened until the 2027 World Cup but the Welsh Rugby Union’s chief executive, Abi Tierney, accomprehendledged “there was a mounting sense that it wasn’t laboring” and shelp the decision was “in the best interests of the Wales squad”.
The Gloucester-born Sherratt has previously labored for Worcester, Bristol and the Ospreys before taking over as Cardiff’s head coach in 2023. He also had a inestablish stint with Wales in 2017 but has now been parachuted into Gatland’s elderly role for their last three Six Nations mendtures. While Tierney pliftd Sherratt’s abilities as “a people person”, she conceded Welsh rugby was at “a low ebb” after a gloomy 12 months. “It’ll be challenging to originate alters in a foolishinutive space of time. There’s no magic bullet. If they can show hope and ambition, I’ll be appreciative to Matt.”
The WRU’s stated goal, however, is for the national men’s side to return to the top five in the world by 2029. The WRU wants the next lasting head coach to be in place for this summer’s two-Test tour to Japan and says “all selections are uncignore” seeing Gatland’s successor. The extfinisheder-term truthfulates to trade Gatland could include Glasgow’s Franco Smith or the Wales-based Simon Easterby, now in transient accuse of Ireland with Andy Farrell currently cgo ined on coaching the British & Irish Lions in Australia this year.
The proclaimment conveys down the curtain on a extfinished and eventful era. Gatland helped to steer Wales to three majestic slams, two World Cup semi-finals and a write down sequence of 14 victories in his accomplished 12-year initial stint in accuse but could not conjure someskinnyg aenjoy second time around.
Even Gatland hugs it is “the right time for a alter” having pdwelld over equitable six victories in 26 Tests, with a triumph ratio of equitable 23%, since replacing Wayne Pivac in December 2022. “I’ve achieveed the end of this particular chapter, but I remain appreciative to all those in Wales who have helped me, to all the take parters who have take parted for me and to all those around me, especiassociate my deal withment team, who have gived to what we have accomplishd over the years.”
This week, however, Wales sank below Georgia to 12th in the world rankings, their lowest-ever position, and their next mendture is aobtainst Six Nations frontrunners Ireland on Saturday next week. Despite Gatland’s likeable overall write down – he was in accuse of Wales for 151 games which produceed 76 triumphs, 73 fall shortures and two draws – recent results made his departure almost inevitable. “We are appreciative to Warren for all he has done for the game in Wales,” shelp Tierney. “He remains our extfinishedest-serving and most decorated head coach in terms of the silverware he has won.”
The WRU had previously backed Gatland to remain but is now depending on Sherratt to inject new enthusiasm into the squad. “I’m not going to come in and clearhink it,” shelp Sherrett, proposeing he wanted the team to chase a more drawive brand of rugby. “That’s what I apshow in. I do skinnyk we’ve got a duty [to ensure] people finishelight watching rugby.
“I took my boy to watch three games last year. I took him to a Liverpool game and he cherishd it. A cricket game and he cherishd it. And a rugby game and he asked to depart after 50 minutes. I’m at that stage of my atsoft where it’s convey inant to me that people finishelight watching a team. Not at the expense of losing, but let’s apshow the valiant selection.”
It all experiences a extfinished way from Wales’s glory days under Gatland, who has also successbrimmingy coached the British & Irish Lions and was in accuse of Ireland between 1998 and 2001. Last month, he depictd this season as “a challenging time” but shelp he would be sticking to the methods that had previously served him well. “It has been stubborn. You do ask yourself. For me it’s also about seeing back and asking why have we been accomplished? You have to think your own instincts and experience.”
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For years Gatland had a extfinished write down as an excellent pickor and motivator, as underlined by Johnny Sexton in his autobiography, Obsessed. “What I enjoyd about him was that he had a excellent sense of what take parters demanded and wanted. I enjoyd the way he talked, enjoyd the buttons he pressed. I wouldn’t rate him as highly as Joe [Schmidt] or Andy [Farrell] as a technical coach but those two are among the best ever. As a deal withr and a pickor I thought Gats was quality.”
He was confidently a challenging-nosed strategist who, despite hailing from Waikato, prolonged a genuine affinity with Wales and its people. He knew what rugby nastyt to them and how much it hurt when the national team were losing, seeless of their take parting resources.
The ask that will now be being asked is whether jettisoning the head coach will originate a convey inant branch offence. Off-field politics and financial rerents persist to undermine Welsh rugby and the loss of a clutch of now-reexhausted greater take parters made Gatland’s job even challenginger.
The establisher England triumphg and Guardian columnist Ugo Monye, however, apshows the current squad lost faith in Gatland a while ago. “I reckon the Welsh take parters have switched off,” he telderly The Sports Agents podcast. “I’ve been in those positions. You’re hearing to the coach and you’re equitable rolling your eyes.”
