Six Nations news: Matt Sherratt a serious contender for Wales head coach role

Rugby fans are sometimes guilty of being a bit reactionary, towards players such as Marcus Smith and Finn Russell or head coaches like Steve Borthwick, and opinions often change in an instant.

Indeed, as soon as a team loses a few games or a particular player makes a few mistakes, we all let our opinions loose on the world, rightly or wrongly.

The reason for mentioning this is that Wales have only had one game under interim head coach Matt Sherratt, so – by default – any opinions on him can be considered somewhat reactionary.

With that said, Sports News Blitz rugby union writer Charlie Elliott takes us through the reasons why Sherratt should be the next permanent Wales head coach.

Sherratt makes an instant impact

While Wales ended up losing to Ireland in the first game of their interim head coach’s tenure, the improvements were immediately clear for everyone to see.

Instead of the type of lifeless performance that has been so common over the last few months, fans got a gutsy and spirited effort last week at the Principality Stadium.

As if to ask for more, the crowd stayed right until the end, cheering their team on in scenes that have been a rare occurrence in recent times.

It really felt like a true turning point rather than just a flash in the pan, which we have unfortunately seen numerous times when it comes to interim coaches.

Attacking-wise, in contrast to the games against France and Italy where they created next to nothing, Wales were great value in scoring a couple of tries.

In the end, it felt like night and day compared to the final days under Warren Gatland.

READ MORE: Six Nations news: Five candidates to replace Warren Gatland as Wales head coach

Brave team selection against Ireland

Sherratt’s team selection against Ireland was a bit of a risk, it must be said.

Selecting unfancied players such as Ellis Mee, WillGriff John, Max Llewellyn, and Gareth Anscombe was always going to be interesting.

One of the key aspects of being a head coach, though, is selecting the right team and Sherratt seemed to get it right all things considered, which is a promising sign.

The inclusion of John was ultimately the standout decision.

His scrummaging abilities were highlighted as potential kryptonite for Ireland prop Andrew Porter by Sherratt and that thought process paid dividends as the Sale Sharks man dominated his opposite number throughout.

By the time the final whistle blew, Wales’ game had been a great mix of youth being blooded in and experienced heads leading the way.

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Other options to replace Warren Gatland

Right now, the frontrunner for the Wales job is current Leicester Tigers coach Michael Cheika, who is leaving Tigers when his contract runs out in the summer.

While Cheika is undoubtedly a great coach who would bring instant success to Wales, his track record of only hanging around for a short period of time is not in the long-term interests of the beleaguered nation.

Rather, Wales need a head coach who is going to grow alongside the team.

A young and hungry coach with a lot to prove would be an ideal candidate, not someone who has already proven himself and has little incentive to actually succeed.

Sherratt has only been a head coach for a couple of years, having taken over at Cardiff in 2023 for his first role, but he has been involved in high-level coaching for 20 years.

Another potential candidate is Franco Smith of the Glasgow Warriors. He has, however, just signed a new contract and would cost an arm and a leg to secure, meaning that it does not make much sense to appoint the South African right now.

There is also Simon Easterby, the current Ireland interim head coach. While this would be a good appointment, he seems much more set on becoming the main man at Ireland when Andy Farrell leaves.

As a result, should he get the job, Easterby would likely use the Wales job simply as a stepping stone. 

Sherratt, on the other hand, would have immense loyalty to the nation should they give him his first full-time taste of Test rugby, and he could really build something at the same time as being a financially viable solution.

MORE FROM CHARLIE ELLIOT: British & Irish Lions news: Eight players Andy Farrell must select for Australia tour