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'That’s one change' - An insider's take on new Wales boss Matt Sherratt
By Simon Thomas
There are few people in the game of rugby who know the new Wales head coach Matt Sherratt better than Danny Wilson.
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The pair worked together for some four years – at first Bristol and then Cardiff – and remain close friends today.
Wilson is now the boss at Harlequins while Sherratt is in charge at the Arms Park, but they still speak on a regular basis.
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So who better to ask than Wilson about what his old pal will bring to the Wales job on a caretaker basis for the remainder of the Six Nations.
“First of all, he is a very good people person, very good at connecting with people,” said the former Scotland assistant coach.
“He has a great balance between enjoyment, fun and demanding a standard. He has a real empathy for when it needs to be light-hearted, when it needs to be serious. He has a very good understanding of that. He’s got a brilliant sense of humour.
“He will know when to demand and when to lighten things up and that’s an important balance, given the pressures in the international game.
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“On the rugby side, he is a hands-on tactical, technical coach and a very good one.”
Sherratt – known throughout the game as Jockey – has lost no time in making his mark since being appointed to replace the departing Warren Gatland.
He has called up Harlequins fly-half Jarrod Evans and Gloucester backs Gareth Anscombe and Max Llewellyn – players he has previously worked with at regional level.
Meanwhile, it’s been announced that Gatland’s long-time assistant Rob Howley will not be part of the coaching team for the remaining three Six Nations fixtures, although he remains under contract with the WRU.
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In terms of what Sherratt can do in the limited preparation period ahead of next week’s home game against Ireland, Wilson said: “Where I think Jockey can make a difference is to go in and coach the attack to what he believes in, which is an exciting style of attack, with a different structure and a different shape.
“That is where he is going to get a hit.
“That’s one change and the other change is I think he can put some sort of imprint of his own on the environment, the schedule, generally.
“He will go in and put smiles on faces. But that will be backed up with real technical and tactical knowledge. He will definitely bring that. He is a very good coach.
“He understands how to motivate people and put smiles on faces, but also when to be demanding and hard-nosed.
“I think he is a good fit for the situation. If you are looking at a three game interim coach to go in and change the environment a little bit and freshen it up and get some tactical, technical attack improvements, he’s your man. It’s a good choice.
“I am glad he has chosen to do it and, having spoken to him this week, I have just said to him to go and enjoy it.”
The pair both hail from the west country – with Wilson coming from Weston-super-Mare and Sherratt from Gloucester – and they got on well from as soon as they first worked together a decade or so ago at Bristol.
So when Wilson was appointed head coach at Cardiff in 2015, he knew exactly who he wanted to have alongside him.
“I did one year with Jockey at Bristol and then I went to do the Cardiff job,” he recalls.
“I always knew I would want to bring him with me when I got the chance because he is a very, very good attack coach.
“He’s a really good mate as well. We have always stayed in touch whatever jobs we’ve been doing and sound-boarded off each other.
“We talk a lot about where the game is going, how you stay ahead of the game and the challenges you have got to deal with. We speak very regularly.”
In terms of Sherratt’s background, he was on the books of Gloucester as a fly-half in the mid-1990s and then spent some four seasons with Cinderford while teaching at St Matthew’s school in Stroud.
Hanging up his boots at the age of 27, he moved into full-time coaching as the RFU’s first community rugby coach in the south west before joining the Worcester academy.
Then came the spell at Bristol alongside Wilson, a partnership which was to be renewed at Cardiff, where they went on to win the European Challenge Cup in 2018, beating Gloucester in the final in Bilbao. The year before, Sherratt had been part of the Wales coaching team for the summer tour of the south seas.
Stints at the Ospreys and Worcester followed before he headed back to the Arms Park in 2021, first as attack coach and then as head coach from the summer of 2023.
It was a challenging situation he encountered as he had just eight players at training at one point during that off-season amid the contract chaos within Welsh rugby.
But he overcame that to make Cardiff a competitive outfit and this season he has guided them into the top five in the URC. Now he’s been handed the reins with Wales.
Someone else who knows the 48-year-old well is his Cardiff captain Liam Belcher.
Reflecting on this week’s big news, the hooker said: “It was a wild Tuesday for us, if I am honest.
“Jockey told us in a team meeting at 12pm.
“Everyone was shocked, to be fair. Nobody expected it.
“He got a bit emotional with it which goes a long way with the group. It says how much he cares about Cardiff and also how excited he is by the challenge.
“I think it’s great for the club and great for him personally.”
As for how Sherratt will approach the Wales job, Belcher said: “I think he will do exactly what he has done here, which is be himself.
“He knows when to switch off and when to switch on. You can have a joke and a laugh with him and you don’t get that from certain coaches.
“He can install confidence in the group straight away and confidence goes a long way in any sport. It’s a new voice, it’s a fresh start.
“Then he will give them licence to be brave with the ball which is what he does here with us.”
Belcher continued: “In terms of game plan, he is a very detailed coach. That’s one thing the boys will have is a detailed attack.
“He’s on the pitch, he’s taking drills, he’s involved in everything.
“Everyone knows what they are doing and, if you don’t, you can get caught out on it because there are no grey areas. There is no umming and ahhing. You know your role.
“The way he plays is exciting and expansive. He has always said be brave with the ball and that’s brilliant for people who want to come and watch Welsh rugby. That’s what it has been known for in the past, playing really good attacking rugby. That’s what gets people through the door and that’s what has got us the crowds we have had here.”
Six Nations
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Ireland
2
2
0
0
10
2
France
2
1
1
0
6
3
England
2
1
1
0
6
4
Scotland
2
1
1
0
5
5
Italy
2
1
1
0
4
6
Wales
2
0
2
0
1
Adding his thoughts, Sherratt’s assistant coach at Cardiff, Corniel van Zyl, said: “When he told the players, you could just see they were really excited for him.
“Hopefully he can make a difference in a short period of time. He is always calm and controlled which is massive for that environment in terms of giving the players confidence in what they can do and bringing the best out of them. It’s a massive opportunity for him.”
Sherratt will take charge of Cardiff for their URC clash with Connacht in Galway on Saturday night and then fly back on Sunday to link up with the Welsh camp.
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