Warren Gatland is moving fast to assemble his coaching ticket ahead of the Six Nations next month, having already dispensed with two of Wayne Pivac's lieutenants, but there is a major hurdle hindering him in sorting out his team before facing Ireland on February 4.
Stephen Jones and Gethin Jenkins have vacated the attack and defence coach roles, with the latter seemingly set to be filled by either Paul Gustard or Steve Tandy. However, the attack position isn't so straightforward.
Rob Howley, who worked under Gatland for the duration of his first stint up until being sent home before the 2019 World Cup after breaching betting rules, had been the front-runner. When Jones, who replaced Howley in Japan four years ago at the last minute, departed, it seemed only a matter of time before Howley returned.
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However, Howley might be denied that piece of personal redemption with the news that some within the Welsh Rugby Union are opposed to his return. You can read more about that here. Given Steve Phillips is seemingly happy to go after whatever Gatland wants on his return in terms of coaching appointments and pay-offs for departing personnel, the notion that Howley's past indiscretions, for which he served an 18-month ban, is a step too far seems a little strange.
Particularly when the options beyond the man Gatland has trusted more than any other during the last two decades of his coaching career are relatively thin.
The most obvious name beyond Howley would be Mark Jones. The former Scarlets wing crossed for 13 tries in his 47 caps, playing a part in Gatland's 2008 Grand Slam, but since retiring the Builth Wells product has forged a coaching career with both attacking and defensive specialities.
That post-playing career saw him initially spend five years as backs coach at the Scarlets, during which time he also served as an assistant to Howley with Wales while Gatland was on Lions duty. That saw him help Howley turn around the 2013 Six Nations campaign to win the title - all while the young coach was still just 33.
After being replaced by Stephen Jones at the Scarlets after citing differing rugby philosophies as the reason for leaving Wayne Pivac's coaching ticket, he held head coaching roles at Rotherham and RGC.
The former was short-lived, but he managed three years in North Wales before stepping down as the travelling up and down the country got too much. He also worked with Namibia during the 2019 World Cup.
After that, he enjoyed perhaps his biggest role - working for Super Rugby giants Crusaders under Scott Robertson as a defence coach. While the role was a shift from what he had done previously, he still worked on the attack with the Canterbury provincial side.
During his year in New Zealand, he helped the side win a Super Rugby Aotearoa title, before the Covid-19 pandemic made him staying longer impossible. So, from there, he took a job with Worcester Warriors as defence and kicking coach.
At one point during 2021, Eddie Jones was also reportedly keen to hire Jones as England's defence coach - although the move never materialised as Jones stayed loyal to his new job at Sixways. Unfortunately, the demise of Worcester this season has left Jones out of a job.
On paper, he seems to be the sensible next option were the WRU to insist that Howley doesn't return. However, it should be noted that he's never actually worked alongside Gatland himself.
Given how much of a constant Howley was, on Lions tours as well as a decade or so with Wales, you'll struggle to find many who have though.
Former All Black Roger Randle worked as attack coach under Gatland for both the Chiefs and the New Zealand Barbarians. However, what are the chances Randle would uproot his life in Waikato to be Wales' second choice?
If you look at other names similar to Jones who filled in alongside Howley while Gatland was on Lions duty, then you're left with Matt Sherratt and Alex King.
Starting with the former, Sherratt began in coaching with the RFU as a development coach before spending time with Worcester as an academy coach. He then spent five years with Bristol as backs coach before taking charge of Cardiff's attack between 2016 and 2018.
During his time at the Arms Park, he played a part in the side lifting the Challenge Cup in Bilbao, while he also spent time with Wales in the autumn of 2016 and on tour of the Pacific Islands the following year. After Cardiff, he joined the Ospreys - working under Allen Clarke and even briefly leading the side following the departure of the former Ireland hooker.
After that, he returned to Worcester as attack coach, but only spent a year at Sixways before the opportunity to head back to Cardiff arose. Since heading back to the Welsh capital, he's helped Dai Young's side work their way up the table this season with some positive results.
As for King, he took charge of Wales' attack during the 2017 Six Nations - pairing up with former Wasps half-back partner Howley to help out. Prior to that, he'd held coaching roles with Clermont and Northampton, winning a Premiership title with the latter.
After the Wales gig, he spent time in charge of the backs at both Montpellier and Gloucester - leaving the latter role last summer as parting of a coaching change at Kingsholm.
One other contender might be Lee Blackett, who is currently working alongside Dwayne Peel at the Scarlets after Wasps' abrupt financial collapse. Working on the west Walians' attack, he's a man with decent pedigree in the game.
With the Scarlets having only recently secured his services for the rest of the season, it would be a blow were Gatland to consider the former Wasps head coach - although stepping on the regions' toes would hardly be reason enough to stop him doing it.
Gatland will likely push hard for Howley to be his second in command - understandably so given how much trust he has placed in the former scrum-half over the years. That loyalty in particular is why it's hard to envisage where Gatland would go next were he forced to look elsewhere.
However, he might just have to.
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