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 supporters have been warned, however, there is “no magic bullet” that will instantly revive the national team after their dismal 22-15 defeat by Italy on Saturday.
Gatland has departed “by mutual agreement” after 14 successive Test defeats, the worst run in the country’s 144-year international rugby history. Gatland, 61, had been contracted until the 2027 World Cup but Abi Tierney, the Welsh Rugby Union chief executive, acknowledged “there was a mounting sense that it wasn’t working” and said the decision was “in the best interests of the Wales squad”.
The Gloucester-born Sherratt, 47, worked previously for Worcester, Bristol and the Ospreys before taking over as Cardiff’s head coach in 2023. He also had a brief stint with Wales in 2017 but has now been parachuted into Gatland’s old role for their remaining three Six Nations fixtures.
While Tierney praised Sherratt’s abilities as “a people person”, she conceded Welsh rugby was at “a low ebb” after a grim 12 months. “It’ll be hard to make changes in a short space of time. There’s no magic bullet. If they can show hope and ambition, I’ll be grateful 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 permanent head coach to be in place for the two‑Test tour to Japan this summer and says “all options are open” regarding Gatland’s successor. The longer-term candidates to replace Gatland may include Glasgow’s Franco Smith or the Wales‑based Simon Easterby, now in temporary charge of Ireland with Andy Farrell currently focused on coaching the British & Irish Lions in Australia this year.
The announcement brings down the curtain on a long and eventful era. Gatland helped to steer Wales to three grand slams, two World Cup semi-finals and a record sequence of 14 victories in his successful 12-year initial stint in charge but could not conjure something similar second time around.
Even Gatland accepts it is “the right time for a change” having presided over just six victories in 26 Tests, with a win ratio of just 23%, since replacing Wayne Pivac in December 2022. “I’ve reached the end of this particular chapter, but I remain grateful to all those in Wales who have supported me, to all the players who have played for me and to all those around me, especially my management team, who have contributed to what we have achieved over the years.”
This week, however, Wales sank below Georgia to 12th in the world rankings, their lowest position, and their next fixture is against the Six Nations frontrunners Ireland on Saturday next week. Despite Gatland’s positive overall record – he was in charge of Wales for 151 games which yielded 76 wins, 73 defeats and two draws – recent results made his departure almost inevitable. “We are grateful to Warren for all he has done for the game in Wales,” Tierney said. “He remains our longest-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 relying on Sherratt to inject fresh enthusiasm into the squad. “I’m not going to come in and overthink it,” Sherratt said, suggesting he wanted the team to pursue a more attractive brand of rugby. “That’s what I believe in. I do think we’ve got a duty [to ensure] people enjoy watching rugby.
“I took my boy to watch three games last year. I took him to a Liverpool game and he loved it. A cricket game and he loved it. And a rugby game and he asked to leave after 50 minutes. I’m at that stage of my career where it’s important to me that people enjoy watching a team. Not at the expense of losing, but let’s take the brave option.”
It all feels a long way from Wales’s glory days under Gatland, who has also successfully coached the British & Irish Lions and was in charge of Ireland between 1998 and 2001. Last month, he described this season as “a challenging time” but said he would be sticking to the methods that had previously served him well. “It has been tough. You do question yourself. For me it’s also about looking back and asking why have we been successful? You have to trust your own instincts and experience.”
For years Gatland had a long record as an excellent selector and motivator, as underlined by Johnny Sexton in his autobiography, Obsessed. “What I liked about him was that he had a good sense of what players needed and wanted. I liked the way he talked, liked 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 manager and a selector I thought Gats was quality.”
Gatland was certainly a hard‑nosed strategist who, despite hailing from Waikato, developed a real affinity with Wales and its people. He knew what rugby meant to them and how much it hurt when the national team were losing, regardless of their playing resources.
The question that will now be being asked is whether jettisoning the head coach will make a significant difference. Off-field politics and financial issues continue to undermine Welsh rugby and the loss of a clutch of now-retired senior players made Gatland’s job even harder.
The former England wing and Guardian columnist Ugo Monye, however, believes the current squad lost faith in Gatland a while ago. “I reckon the Welsh players have switched off,” he told The Sports Agents podcast. “I’ve been in those positions. You’re listening to the coach and you’re just rolling your eyes.”
