Guinness Men’s Six Nations: Wales v Ireland
Venue: Principality Stadium Date: Saturday, 22 February Kick-off: 14:15 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One from 13:15 GMT & S4C, listen live on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Radio Ulster; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app.
There will be a new head coach at the front of the Welsh rugby team bus as it drives through the ‘Gatland Gates’ into the Principality Stadium this Saturday.
With Warren Gatland having departed in another traumatic period of Welsh rugby, Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt has been given the task of navigating this particular rocky journey for the rest of the Six Nations.
That starts on Saturday against defending champions Ireland. And the former primary school teacher will be hoping his period as an interim boss can help start the country’s healing process.
Ireland have their own temporary head coach in Simon Easterby, who has been linked with the Wales job.
Sherratt has no ambitions on this role long-term but aims to provide some hope to a Welsh rugby nation plunged into crisis in the past 18 months.
Sherratt’s background is very different from his predecessor. Gatland was a former All Blacks hooker who has been one of world rugby’s super-coaches of the 21st century, having been involved in the international game for more than 25 years.
The New Zealander even had those gates named after him after his first successful stint in charge of Wales.
Sherratt’s route to his current role has been more modest. He was born in Gloucester with a Welsh mother but never played the game at the top level.
Nicknamed “Jockey” because of his short stature, Sherratt worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a development officer for the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
He worked in the Worcester Warriors academy before graduating to an attack coach for Bristol Bears, where he says he learned a lot from former England and Scotland boss Andy Robinson.
Stints at Cardiff and Ospreys followed before being appointed as a permanent head coach for the first time in his career at the Arms Park for the 2023-24 season.
It was a baptism of fire, where Sherratt started his first pre-season with just eight players as the financial issues of Welsh rugby bit. So he is used to adversity and dealing with crisis situations.
“I’m a teacher and my subject is rugby,” said Sherratt.
“I don’t see it any differently whether it’s international or club.
“I’ve been on a long journey from primary school teaching, community rugby coach going around schools delivering tag rugby sessions, from academy to senior and then international.
“I’m proud of that. When you first start, you worry you’re not a name or an ex-player.
“I’ve been in it long enough to see what professional rugby is about, but I’ve also got that teaching background to fall back on especially where you’ve got to read the room.”
Sherratt was not meant to be at the Principality Stadium this weekend for this occasion, revealing instead he had made plans to be next door at the Arms Park before Wales came calling.
“It’s my brother-in-law’s 50th birthday this weekend and I got tickets to watch the game in the Cardiff clubhouse,” said Sherratt.
“I’m not sure they wanted me there for my company or contacts.
“They only wanted to go with me because I get a pint for £2. Now I’m not there, they are frightened they will have to pay £3.50.
“I have had stick for pulling out but they can appreciate I am going to be busy.”
Sherratt has experienced international rugby before having been a Wales assistant in 2016 and 2017.
He will be the centre of attention on Saturday with the television cameras panning on him at every opportunity, especially during the national anthem which he has stated he will learn from the internet.
“I haven’t over-thought it,” said Sherratt.
“It’s a game of rugby with 75,000 people watching it, and a lot more interest.
“It will be faster, there’s more pressure, the collisions will be bigger.
“When you boil it down, it’s the same as a club game.”
Even for the Welsh rugby soap opera, the last 18 months have been grim.
Wales’ record losing international streak has extended to 14 since defeating Georgia in October 2023.
The winning drought has passed 500 days with Wales falling to a lowest world rugby ranking of 12th.
A defeat against Ireland will represent a record ninth successive championship loss and a 15th failure in 16 Six Nations games.
Cardiff being a home fortress is now also a myth. Wales have lost their past seven internationals at the Principality Stadium and Saturday will represent 1,107 days since the previous Six Nations home win.
Despite the doom and gloom, Sherratt has cut a relaxed figure. Still dressed in his Cardiff tracksuit and arriving straight off the training pitch, there was a surreal air to his introductory press conference just hours after accepting the role.
Sherratt should not be expected to work miracles having had only four training sessions with his new squad.
He is an engaging and popular figure, and while he can only do so much in the next few weeks, there is not much for him to lose.
It is hoped the new man can at least offer a feel-good factor sorely lacking in the past 18 months.
“The word opportunity is one we used when speaking to the players,” said Sherratt.
“It’s easy to get sucked into negativity. There’s a group of players with lots of heart and pride about playing for Wales.
“I want them to bring their personality and be brave if they see space, even if there’s an error.
“Anxiety in any sport is the biggest killer of performance, so it’s trying to remove that, free the players up so they are not weighed down by expectation.
“I want to make sure they feel comfortable in their own skin and we enjoy being here.”
Sherratt believes he has been able to offer some external perspective.
“Sometimes when you’re on the outside looking in, you see more clearly,” he said.
“What I could see was there was lots of effort being put in by players, almost desperation at times to do well for their country.
“Sometimes when you’re desperate for a win and have emotion, effort can be misplaced.”
He is a pragmatist, with previous attack coach Rob Howley leaving alongside Gatland.
Sherratt has changed more than half the team, brought back Gloucester duo Gareth Anscombe and Max Llewellyn, both discarded by Gatland, and is playing Ben Thomas in his usual centre position.
Sherratt says he has had to “give himself a talking to about not drowning the players in information”, focusing on promoting a couple of clear messages. But there will be a structure.
“We have got a clear game plan to make sure players are going in the same direction,” he said.
“It would be easy to come in, talk about exciting the crowd, but we can’t be reckless.
“I’ve been coaching long enough to know if your foundations aren’t in place, the rest of your game isn’t going to show.
“It has to be within a system, not 15 blokes trying to do their own thing. That’s been this week’s challenge.”
Some parts of Ireland do not feel Wales will even test their team – with Wales 25-1 to win with some bookmakers in a two-horse race.
Ireland, who have won seven of their last eight Tests against Wales, are ranked second in the world and can clinch the Triple Crown in Cardiff on their quest to becoming the first side to win three successive tournaments.
One Irish podcast arrogantly suggested their nation could win with 13 men, give Wales a game with 12 or field their Under-20s side who lost to their Wales counterparts on Friday night. Sherratt smiled when asked about these comments.
“I learned the first time I was with Wales about stuff like that when I was referred to as an ‘unknown little Englishman’ and I deleted my social media quickly,” said Sherratt.
“I respect Ireland. They are a well-coached team with good players.
“Cardiff is a hostile place to come on a Saturday afternoon and there will be 15 players on the field desperate to represent their country.
“That’s all we’re focused on, not any outside chat.”
Ireland will wear white shirts in order to help supporters impacted by colour blindness. They might not be sporting their traditional green jerseys but Sherratt knows their distinct identity remains.
“If you think about Ireland, if they were outside the window now playing in different colour shirt, I could say within five minutes that was them,” said Sherratt.
“You can close your eyes and see how they play with their connected shape.
“Our challenge as a Welsh squad is make sure we stand for something and have a clear identity.”
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