⁠What if Wales sack Warren Gatland? 16 possible options to replace legendary head coach

Louis Chapman Coombe 18 Nov 2024 4:14 PM

Pressure is mounting on Wales head coach Warren Gatland, as his side find themselves in rotten form in 2024.

Wales have lost their past 11 international fixtures on the bounce, and barring a miracle against back-to-back world champions South Africa, face an unwanted record of losing every single Test in a calendar year.

The game in Wales is in a really tough spot, and that could all culminate in the sacking of Gatland, who has had a bleak second stint in charge of the national side.

But, if he was to leave his post at the end of the Autumn Nations Series, who would come into replace him? Well, Planet Rugby assesses the runners and riders should Gatland get the sack.

Front-runner: Graham Rowntree, Johan Ackermann

Leading the charge to take over at the helm are two coaches currently out of work, but who boast decent pedigree in the coaching world.

Graham Rowntree is potentially the man in pole position, considering his recent success with former club Munster. Rowntree took the reins as Munster boss back in 2022, and guided them to the United Rugby Championship (URC) title that year and finished top of the pile a year later before a surprise semi-final exit. He has also had experience with coaching at Test level, as he served on Stuart Lancaster’s England coaching staff between 2012 and 2015.

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South African coach Johan Ackermann would also be a shrewd appointment. He has enjoyed spells at the Lions, Gloucester and more recently has been in Japan with both the Red Hurricanes and Urayasu D-Rocks, but his experience would make him a fine option to replace Gatland. His time at Gloucester, in particular, showed what he can do with an exciting crop of young players, and he turned them into regular play-off competitors in his time at Kingsholm. One thing that does go against him is his lack of Test coaching experience, but nonetheless he would be a fine option if the Wels Rugby Union (WRU) gave him the job.

In the mix: Stuart Lancaster, Pat Lam, Michael Cheika, Franco Smith, Toby Booth, Shaun Edwards, Dwayne Peel

There could easily be a whole host of names added to this section, but all of these picks would also do a great job as Wales boss. Current Racing 92 boss Stuart Lancaster would be an incredibly clever pick-up by the WRU, given he has the experience of rebuilding Test teams after his time with England. Lancaster is also keen on big projects and likes to plan for the future, which is something Wales need. Bristol boss Pat Lam could also be a neat choice as head coach, given his tenures with both Connacht and Bristol saw them turn from struggling outfits to serious title contenders, and he won a PRO14 title as a result with the Irish province.

Michael Cheika is also an interesting one, considering he has only just taken over at Leicester Tigers, but he is only on a one-year deal and could be tempted by a return to Test rugby should Wales come knocking. Again, he helped transform both Australia and Argentina into serious forces during his respective spells with them, and is already having an effect at Welford Road too. His time with the Tigers also shows he can turn a team in crisis around in double-quick time.

Glasgow boss Franco Smith and outgoing Ospreys coach Toby Booth would also be excellent appointments, with their club teams succeeding despite the financial constraints. They also play a style of rugby that suits a team in transition and would help Wales build a platform to then start building wins and, importantly, confidence. Smith also has Test coaching experience after serving both the Springboks and Italy as a coach in the past. Shaun Edwards has served as Gatland’s right-hand man in the past, and bringing him back to Wales would be just the injection of energy they need. He has long been seen as a Test head coach, and also has experience in turning Wales into the force of old during his first spell as assistant coach alongside Gatland, so there’s no reason he wouldn’t succeed in the top job.

Wales aren’t blessed with coaches of their own, but former international Dwayne Peel has had a decent start to his off-field career and certainly would have aspirations to coach the national side. Peel has made Scarlets a lot more competitive in the URC, and importantly already has a good understanding of some of Wales’ young players too as a result.

Outside bet: Kieran Crowley, Jamie Joseph, Dave Rennie, Stephen Jones

There are also plenty of outside bets to take the Wales job on. Former Italy boss Kieran Crowley is largely associated with the transformation of Italian rugby after his spell as Italy coach, and could easily do this again as Wales boss. Former Japan coach Jamie Joseph is another Test-level coach currently out of work, and his time with the Brave Blossoms makes him a very good candidate. He was able to get Japan playing a fun brand of rugby, but also developed a good core of young players that in turn allowed them to compete at the highest level.

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Former Wallabies boss Dave Rennie could also be a steady pick-up from the WRU, with his experience around the club game and time with Australia too. Former Welsh fly-half Stephen Jones is also in with a shout and has spent time with the Welsh coaching staff during Wayne Pivac’s tenure, but his lack of head coaching experience could go against him.

Wishful thinking: Ronan O’Gara

La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara has been pretty open regarding his desire to coach at Test level, and it would be a serious play from Wales if they brought him in as top dog. He has helped transform La Rochelle into consistent title contenders both in the Top 14 and Europe and is certainly a coach that demands success, so would be a welcome injection into Welsh rugby. It would take a big play for him to come, with his sights pretty much on the Ireland job, but it could be a tempting offer.

Surely not: Eddie Jones, Clive Woodward

Two incredibly left-field calls here, but they could actually work. Eddie Jones and Clive Woodward both enjoyed serious success during their times as England coach, and importantly they both came in after a pretty bleak period in the country’s rugby history. They also know how to develop young talent, and both brought in plenty of players who went on to be seriously good Test players during their careers, and would be great with the current crop of Welsh talent. Their experience would also be a huge tick-in-the-box.

Whilst they might be decent arrivals on paper, you feel the game has potentially moved on from the two 2003 World Cup final coaches. Jones had a pretty rough spell as Australia head coach last year, and hasn’t had much success with Japan since returning earlier this year. Woodward also hasn’t held a head coach role of any kind since the British and Irish Lions in 2005, nearly 20 years ago.

They could, if the WRU wanted, be brought in as director of rugby though above the new head coach, which could actually be exactly what Wales needs.