Warren Gatland gone! 16 potential replacements to take Wales job including former Six Nations title winners
From left to right: Warren Gatland, Franco Smith and Dwayne Peel
Warren Gatland has left his position as Wales head coach, the WRU have confirmed this afternoon.
The departure of Gatland comes following a run of 14 consecutive Test defeats, and their 22-15 loss to Italy on Saturday proved to be the final straw for the iconic head coach, who leaves Wales for a second time.
“The WRU and Warren have agreed that making this change now is in the best interests of the Wales squad as it continues to compete in the 2025 Six Nations tournament,” WRU CEO Abi Tierney said on his departure.
“We are grateful to Warren for all he has done for the game in Wales. He remains our longest-serving and most decorated head coach in terms of the silverware he has won.
Matt Sherratt has taken over as interim head coach, however, they will need to appoint a long-term option sooner rather than later; so who could they turn to? Well, here are the runners and riders to replace Warren Gatland as Wales head coach.
Front-runners: Franco Smith, Simon Easterby
As reported this morning by WalesOnline this morning, Franco Smith and Simon Easterby are already been tapped up to take on the job. Glasgow boss Smith, who has previously coached Italy at Test level, would be an incredibly shrewd pick-up by the WRU higher-ups, and crucially has shown he can turn Glasgow’s team’s around in a short space of time. Under Smith, Glasgow have become a seriously competitive side both domestically and in Europe too, and that all came to a head last year as they won the URC title. He also played a key role in Italy’s recent transformation too.
Current Ireland interim head coach Easterby would also be a fine selection by Wales, but they would need to wait until the end of the Six Nations to get him. Easterby has taken to Test level coaching like a duck to water, with his side winning both of their Six Nations Tests so far, but crucially it’s how he’s gone about it that should have Wales on the blower right away. His substitutions have come at exactly the right time to change the game, and he’s also stuck by his players and backed them – just look at the difference between Sam Prendergast’s performance against England and Scotland for example. He’s already showing he will be a fine Test level coach, and could do wonders for Wales.
In the mix: Rob Howley, Dai Young, Dwayne Peel
You’d imagine Rob Howley, Dai Young and Dwayne Peel are also in the reckoning, considering their pedigree within Wales. Howley already has some credit in the bank after guiding Wales to the 2013 Six Nations title when stepping in for Gatland, but then again he was also at the helm for a run of six defeats in a row, the previous losing record before this current one, and they finished fifth in 2017 when he stepped in for Gatland too, with just two wins from five.
Former Wasps and Cardiff coach Dai Young will also likely be a name thrown around in the WRU board room this week. Like Smith, Young has the experience of turning teams around and making them serious title contenders, which is just what Wales need. During his time at Wasps, he made the regular features in the Premiership play-offs and took them to the 2017 final, and they also made the latter stages of Europe too. He also did a solid job at Cardiff before his exit.
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Another Welsh coach who could be in-line for the top job is current Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel, who again would be a fine choice. Since taking the reins in Llaneli, Peel has undertaken a gradual improvement to get to where they are now, and crucially he is playing a style of rugby that is seemingly getting the best out of his young players too. A large core of the Wales squad also ply their trade with the Scarlets, so it would be a pretty easy transition for them too.
Outside bets: Graham Rowntree, Jamie Joseph, Stuart Lancaster, Joe Schmidt, Stephen Jones, Matt Sherratt
Around these, there will likely be some discussion surrounding Graham Rowntree, Jamie Joseph, Stuart Lancaster, Joe Schmidt and Stephen Jones too.
Starting with Rowntree, the Leicester icon has been out of work since his departure from Munster, but his record of success with the Irish province should attract at least a conversation for this position. He managed to give Munster that identity which made them a champion team in the past, and that style of play is similar to what made Wales a great team in the past decade.
Jamie Joseph has also proved he has the capabilities to turn a team around at Test level, given he made Japan a force to be reckoned with during his tenure and could definitely get Wales back on track too.
Stuart Lancaster is also currently out of work after his departure from Racing 92 and could prove a clever option. He is credited with a lot of Leinster’s success in recent years, despite not actually being head coach, and his time with England showed he can nurture young talent at Test level, which is just what Wales need right now.
Likewise with Joe Schmidt, who is set to leave his post as Wallabies boss after the 2025 Rugby Championship. His time with Australia showed just how quickly he can turn a faltering team around and get them back on track, and then add in his experience with Ireland and helping them reach their full potential and you could be on to a real winner. Only issue with Schmidt is he would have to take over later this year.
A bold call could be handing Stephen Jones the top job, who was actually in the pipeline for it a few years ago. It was previously discussed on BBC Radio Five Live’s Rugby Union Weekley Podcast that Jones was in the frame to take over from Wayne Pivac, in a similar fashion to how Pivac succeeded Gatland, however, that didn’t quite work out in the end. Jones is also an icon of the Welsh game and could generate some much-needed pride back into the game as a whole.
Another left-field shout is Cardiff’s Matt Sherratt, who according to reports will take over for the remainder of the Six Nations. The Cardiff boss has overseen a pretty rapid up-turn in form for the capital side and has helped them get back into the URC play-off picture as a result. His appointment for the remainder of the Championship also feels a bit like an audition, and if he gets Wales winning again then he could be given the job full-time.
Wild cards: Pat Lam, Rob Baxter, Johan Ackermann
Some wild cards now, but ones with genuine legs behind them too.
Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam is a coach who probably deserves a Test gig at some point in his career, and he could transform Wales if called upon. Lam is all about no-fear, attacking rugby, and that sort of mindset could get Wales out of the rut they’re in at the moment. Wales just look defeated whenever they go into a game, and as a result play fairly basic rugby, but Lam coming in would get them just playing with a smile again. He has also done a terrific job with both Bristol and Connacht too in his time.
Another Premiership coach who could do a marvellous job as Wales boss would be Rob Baxter. The Exeter Chiefs boss has become synonymous with the Devonians, having been their since 2009, but again you feel he deserves a Test job at some point in his career. Baxter has helped turn Exeter from a solid Championship side to one of the best teams in both the Premiership and in Europe, and as we’ve seen throughout his time at the Chiefs has this brilliant ability to get the best out of young players and turn them into superstars. It probably won’t happen, but it might just work.
Finally, Johan Ackerman always has his name thrown into the ring for these jobs, and he could easily be a great fit for Wales. He just has so much coaching experience to bring to the job, and would also give Wales an entirely fresh perspective too.
Surely not: Eddie Jones, Ronan O’Gara
Rounding off our picks are two current head coaches, in the form of Eddie Jones and Ronan O’Gara. Both of them are regarded as some of the best rugby brains in the world, and also have a decent track record of success too, especially with turning teams around after some tough times. They have both also won silverware too, which is a big tick in their boxes. It likely won’t happen though, but you can dare to dream.
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