As the Welsh rugby plans a forward route from the depths of despair, much, if not everything, the approach is who will happen to Warren Gatland as the next permanent chief coach of the nation. Franco Smith, Simon Easterby, Michael Cheika and Pat Lam are interested for Wales after Gatland left after a series of 14 successive losses.
However, Rugby Welsh union is not only looking for a new male coach, but also a rugby director and could argue a strong argument to say that the second of those appointments is actually the most important in the long term. This is because Wales has problems solving throughout its rugby ecosystem, not only at the top of the pyramid.
In an ideal world, the WRU would first appoint a rugby director and then that person would have a voice in the identity of the next chief coach, so time is essential.
Here, Mail sport Analyze 10 candidates for Rugby Role High Profile Director …
Stuart Lancaster
The name of former chief coach of England was proposed by Mail sport Before Gatland departed as the main director of the Rugby contender. And nothing has changed on that forehead. Lancaster has trained at the test level and worked on the development route of England to carry out future generations. He has worked in England, Ireland and France. But it remains to be seen if Lancaster would want to return quickly after being fired as coach of racing 92 at the beginning of the month. Spliting the races and joining the WRU would be a case outside the pan towards the fire for the 55 -year -old man.
Chief coach Warren Gatland left the Wales rugby for the second time in the middle of a miserable streak for the nations team, but the configuration must also comply with the director of Rugby.
Wales was hit 22-15 by Italy in his fourteenth consecutive defeat under Gatland
With an important appointment to fill, while navigating this year's six nations, names established as former Racing 92 Stuart Lancaster Chief Coach are emerging
Gethin Watts
Now chief of recruitment under Lam on the side of the Premier League of Gallagher Bristol Bears, Watts knows the Welshway system inside out. He was WRU National Performance Manager between 2011 and 2017 and played an instrumental role in the development of a golden generation of players that included players such as Sam Warburton, Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies, among others.
Watts led the WRU elite path previously, so his knowledge of the Welsh game makes him an exceptional candidate and has a history of taking the players at the upper level, something that Wales needs to improve to move forward. You may not have the reputation of other candidates more high profile, but it could be said that it is one of the most qualified. He has expanded his experience in Bristol, building a talented team in Ashton Gate and working with the Club Academy. To make the required significant change, Wales needs a rugby director to stay for the long -term Walshman Watts and passionate could be the man.
Jamie Roberts
With 94 Wales Caps and three for the Lions, Roberts undoubtedly has the best pedigree of his career as a player and is currently a non -executive independent director on the WRU board, so he is already involved in Welsh Rugby's power runners. Understand the requirements of what is needed to play at the highest level and another advantage it has is that he played in five different countries in the course of his career, so he would surely have captured a lot of experience in what works and what not. However, he would surely have to give up his growing media career to join the WRU full time. It has no direct experience or performance experience.
Steve Diamond
He has 25 years of experience in Coaching and once and once he has gotten into teams with problems with small resources and changed them. Wales certainly fits that category at this time. Diamond has worked with Sale, Sarracens, Russia, Worcester, Edimburg and is currently in charge of the Newcastle Falcons.
For too long, Welsh rugby has been afraid to make difficult decisions and meaningless diamond will certainly be not afraid to call things as you see. That said, it is good to build relationships within a rugby environment. Diamond is an attractive and motivating figure and could work well along with a younger and inexperienced chief coach like Easterby.
The legend of Wales, Jamie Roberts, has an inside experience inward the configuration, but there is no formal training
Steve Diamond is the type of candidate who is not afraid to make difficult decisions, something that Wales needs desperately
Marry
He is technically the man in possession of the role, although only interim. Bevan is currently the WRU interim performance director. He has occupied Senior Posts of elite sports performance within multiple organizations in Rugby and Cricket. One wonders if the WRU will seek outside its organization a new travel address. Bevan accepted that the fall of Wales in the 12th place in the world classification of Rugby was a fair reflection of the country's fall.
“We have worked a lot in the route system that will take time to arrive,” he said, speaking at a press conference where Matt Sherratt was confirmed as the interim coach of Wales for the rest of the six nations after Gatland's departure. 'This has not happened in recent years. This has spent several years in development. We have to overcome that. Our succession plan in the future should be better.
“We need to address that and ensure that younger players get opportunities.”
Rob Baxter
Like Diamond, Baxter has a great experience in the English club rugby. He took Exeter to the Premier League and finally turned them into national and European champions, building an impressive squad along the way. A large number of Wales players are currently working with Baxter in Sandy Park, so he already has a strong awareness of Lock Dafydd Jenkins. After an extraordinary success with the Chiefs, Baxter's team is fighting in the prime minister this season after undergoing a dramatic reconstruction, so maybe now it could be the time to be tempted by a movement elsewhere.
And Ashworth
A suggestion outside the box is true. Ashworth is perhaps the highest profile sports director in English football, so he has no experience in Rugby. However, his pedigree in elite development is unquestionable after periods with West Brom, The Football Association, Brighton, Newcastle and Manchester United. In the FA, Ashworth and Gareth Southgate they delivered a style of play and clear DNA to all the teams in England and that is very necessary in Welsh Rugby now. He has not taken a job since United in December.
Several Wales stars are currently working with the very experienced Rob Baxter in Exeter
The former sports director of Man United, Dan Ashworth, is a left field option, but his pedigree in elite development is unquestionable
Simon Raiwalui has strong high -performance credentials after shining Fiji's reputation
Simon Raiwalui
He trained Fiji to the quarterfinals of the world 2023, but before that, he succeeded in what was effectively a rugby director with the Pacific islanders. He currently has the task of cultivating rugby internationally in developing nations such as the high performance roads of the world rugby and the players' development manager. If you are considered appropriate to improve rugby worldwide, could you surely do it in Wales? Its high performance credentials are impressive.
Andrew Hore
He has bounced between a large number of different works in Wales and the Southern Hemisphere and is currently Executive Director of Auckland Blues. He was with the WRU as time as his 2005 Grand Slam of the six 2005 nations in a physical conditioning role before moving on to high performance and then to rugby equipment. Previously in Wales, it has been a key figure in Ospreys, so it also knows things from the domestic side.
Billy Millard
Another currently in the Premier League, Millard is Rugby director with Harlequins. He has had several different roles in the London Club, but has been there since 2018 and was an integral part of Quins winning the title of the English League in 2021. He has an excellent experience in training and also has a job in the Welsh game in his CV After working. with the side of the Cardiff Country Capital Club.