Former Wales boss Warren Gatland has said that he was trying to get Wales into “best possible shape for the World Cup” during his time in charge, something their interim coach Matt Sherratt does not need to focus on.
Cardiff’s Sherratt is two matches into his three-match stint in charge of Wales since Gatland departed in February midway through the Guinness Six Nations, and while the team still search for an elusive win, there have been signs of improvement.
The recent first half against Scotland, where Wales trailed 28-8 at the break, was perhaps a backward step after a hugely promising round three display against Ireland, but they rallied in the second half to earn two bonus points.
This improvement from Wales has partly been aided by the personnel that Sherratt has brought into the squad that Gatland overlooked. But, speaking on the Stick to Rugby podcast recently, the Kiwi said that that is a “luxury” the interim boss has as he is “just thinking about now.” He has nevertheless been “cheering like mad” the last two matches as Wales look to snap a 16-Test losing streak.
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“It was quite funny,” Gatland said on the podcast. “Because I looked at the team, and I looked at the team they picked against Ireland, and for me, my whole thought process wasn’t about now, and Matt’s got that luxury, he’s just thinking about now, the first three games, and he’s brought players in.
“My whole thing is how do we get back into a cycle again where we’re thinking about the World Cup. If I looked at the team if I was part of the selection, I would have started Dan Edwards at No.10, stayed with Eddie James at No.12 and probably Joe Roberts would have been at No.13, it would probably have been the same back three.
“He’s got a relationship with those players [Gareth Anscombe and Max Llewellyn] and he thinks they can make a difference. That is completely his prerogative to do that. He’s on a different mindset in terms of what he’s trying to do.”
Another player who made an impact for Wales from the bench against Scotland was Harlequins fly-half Jarrod Evans, who was originally omitted from Gatland’s Six Nations squad. He explained the reasoning behind that decision, saying: “I thought Jarrod Evans was good, I thought he played flatter to the line. I watched him play and we had a lot of discussion about him as a player. I was impressed with his attacking game, probably the negatives had been around his kicking game in the past.”
While Gatland’s second spell in charge of Wales did not end well, he said that he stuck to his principles and believed he was making the best decisions “long-term” for Welsh rugby.
He added: “I’m thinking ‘honestly, what is the best decision long-term for Welsh rugby?’ How do we get to 2027 where we’ve got some experience and depth in certain positions, knowing we get three or four months in a World Cup cycle where you can do the training, the depth, the detail that’s needed. It’s the one time you feel like you’re working with a club side when you go into World Cup camps.
“I had to be true to myself in thinking ‘Warren, this is not about you, this is not about what you’re trying to do, if you honestly believe in building this team to get them into the best possible shape for the World Cup, then you’ve got to stick by your principles.’ That’s exactly what I was doing.
“I’ve done okay in rugby, I’m not in there thinking I’ve got to protect my job and I’ve got to worry about my family and all those sort of things. I can make different decisions.”
