Matt Sherratt ‘couldn’t turn down’ Wales offer after Warren Gatland’s departure

Matt Sherratt admitted he “couldn’t turn down” the chance to coach Wales after being appointed as Warren Gatland’s immediate successor.

The Cardiff head coach will take charge for Wales’ three remaining Guinness Six Nations games against title favourites Ireland, Scotland and England.

Sherratt, though, said he will not be putting his name forward for the role beyond this season’s tournament.

Gatland has left his position as head coach by mutual agreement following a record run of 14 successive Test match defeats.

The Welsh Rugby Union confirmed Gatland’s departure on Tuesday, just 72 hours after Wales suffered a debilitating Six Nations loss to Italy in Rome.

Wales have not won a Test since beating Georgia during the 2023 World Cup and are firmly on course for a second successive Six Nations wooden spoon.

Gatland is the first Wales head coach to leave midway through a Six Nations campaign since Mike Ruddock resigned in 2006.

“It is going to be very difficult to change a huge amount technically and tactically in what will probably be three or four sessions before we play Ireland,” Sherratt told reporters at Wales’ training base.

“I am probably at the stage of my career when it’s important to me that people want to come and enjoy watching a team play – not at the expense of losing, that’s really important – but i want players to go out and be brave, and if there is a 50-50 on then take a brave option.

“I was sat on my sofa at eight o’clock last night and Huw’s (WRU interim performance director Huw Bevan) name came up on my phone. I can’t repeat what I said when I saw his name come up.

“To have the opportunity to be senior coach of a fantastic rugby nation and a group of players and staff I know pretty well is something I couldn’t turn down.

“It was a surprise. And there is obviously a harder side to this with someone of a class coach like Warren, who has given so much to Welsh rugby.

“It will be until the end of the Six Nations. I’ve signed a contract with Cardiff. Cardiff is my first head coach job.

“There will probably be a couple of mistakes along the way. I am learning. But it’s not something I will be putting my name forward for.

“I would like to do it for the rest of the Six Nations and help the squad and do my best for Welsh rugby but then I will be back to Cardiff to try and turn that around there.”

Englishman Sherratt, who became Cardiff head coach in 2023, had previously been on the coaching staff at the Ospreys, Bristol and Worcester.

Sherratt, who said he will be “on YouTube tomorrow” learning the Welsh national anthem, will report for Wales squad duty next Monday after taking charge of Cardiff’s United Rugby Championship game against Connacht two days earlier.

Gatland’s second reign in charge of Wales produced just six wins from 26 Tests. First time around between 2008 and 2019, he masterminded Six Nations titles, Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-final appearances and a brief stint as world rugby’s number one-ranked nation.

Wales will host Ireland on February 22 with a world ranking of 12th, having dropped below Georgia.

In a statement released by the WRU, Gatland said: “We have worked hard, we have a talented young squad that is developing and have been desperate to turn potential into results, but now is the right time for a change.”

On Gatland, WRU chief executive Abi Tierney said there had been no settlement with him, and added: “We caught up after the game, and he phoned me and said ‘can we have a conversation’, so we had a conversation and we reached a mutual agreement that this was the best time and the best interest of Welsh rugby for him to finish his role.

“I think it was important for the team, the management team and the Welsh public that we will make that change even though, ideally, we didn’t want to make it in the middle of the tournament. It is still the right decision.”

Attention has already turned to Gatland’s long-term successor, with names like Franco Smith, Simon Easterby and Michael Cheika already being linked with the job.

“My phone hasn’t stopped this morning, people reaching out who are interested,” Tierney added.

“I am not underestimating where we are, but for a lot of ambitious coaches the idea of actually coming into this position and making a difference and turning something around is clearly very attractive.

“I was being approached before this, and I am confident that we can get a top candidate to come in.”