With Warren Gatland now gone as Wales head coach and Matt Sherratt installed as his interim replacement, we assess the options to step into the role permanently.

Commenting on the WRU’s decision to relive him of his duties as Wales head coach, Abi Tierney thanked Gatland for his work in the role.

“We are grateful to Warren for all he has done for the game in Wales,” Tierney said.

“He remains our longest-serving and most decorated head coach in terms of the silverware he has won.”

She also welcomed Matt Sherratt, who joins as an interim from Cardiff Rugby.

“Matt Sherratt takes over at a pivotal time,” Tierney added.

“It is a credit to him that he has not hesitated to answer Wales’s call and is also testament to the strong relationship that now exists throughout the Welsh professional game that Cardiff Rugby are fully supportive of the move.

“Matt will return to Cardiff Rugby after the Six Nations in order to concentrate his efforts on what is already a promising campaign for our capital club.”

We contacted our friends at DragonBet to find out who the bookies think are the runners and riders to take over as Wales head coach following the conclusion of the 2025 Six Nations.

Michael Cheika 3/1

Since being hired as head coach at Leinster in 2005, Cheika brings almost 20 years of top level coaching experience to the role.

He is perhaps most well known for his five year spell as head coach of his native Australia, during which he beat Wales in his first match in charge.

Within a year in the role, Cheika guided the Wallabies to the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, losing to an all-time great New Zealand side.

More recently, Cheika had a short but successful stint in charge of Argentina, memorably beating New Zealand in Christchurch during the 2022 Rugby Championship.

Cheika would potentially be available, having recently announced that he is leaving his current role at Leicester Tigers in the English Premiership.

If reports in Australia are true that Joe Schmidt is also leaving his role as the current Wallabies head coach, then Wales have a battle to secure the 57-year-old’s signature.

Franco Smith 5/1

Franco Smith is perhaps most well known and celebrated for his current role than any that came before it.

As head coach at Glasgow Warriors, he has elevated a semi-decent club side into a proper European force in the space of three seasons.

Overseeing the development of the likes of Rory Darge, Tom Jordan, and Sione Tuipulotu, Smith guided Glasgow to a first United Rugby Championship title last season, upsetting the odds to beat the Bulls in Pretoria in the final.

Prior to that role, Smith had an 18-month spell in charge of the Italian national side, as well as coaching Treviso and the Cheetahs.

Simon Easterby 5/1

The current Ireland interim head coach has more than a couple of ties to Wales. Married to popular television presenter Sara Elgin, much of Easterby’s family lives in Wales.

The former Ireland back row was also a core part of the Scarlets side of the mid to late 2000s, making the transition into coaching by first becoming their defence coach, and then having a two-year spell in the head role.

From there, Easterby joined the Irish set up and his never left. Seven years, from 2014-2021 as forwards coach, then defence coach from then on.

With Andy Farrell appointed head coach of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia this summer, Easterby has taken the reins as head coach and guided Ireland to wins against England and Scotland in their first two matches.

Steve Tandy 5/1

Another flanker who played a key part for a west Walian region in the 2000s, Steve Tandy has turned a solid playing career into an impressive coaching one.

Following an eye-catching spell at Bridgend Ravens, Tandy was hired as Ospreys head coach in 2012, winning the Pro12 title in his first season in charge.

In 2018, Tandy took up a defence coach role at New South Wales Waratahs for two seasons before becoming a part of Gregor Townsend’s coaching staff with Scotland, where he remains today.

In 2021, Tandy was announced as defence coach for Warren Gatland’s third and final stint as Lions head coach, demonstrating the high regard in which he is held.

Joe Schmidt 9/1

With Cheika potentially lined up for the head coach role at the Wallabies, Schmidt will be looking for a job after he leads Australia in hosting the Lions this summer.

Schmidt’s CV is as good as any in world rugby, coaching Ireland to a Grand Slam in 2018, as well Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015.

Following that, Schmidt was New Zealand’s attack coach during their run to the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, and was named as the new Australia coach last year.

In his first two games in charge, Schmidt’s Wallabies beat Wales twice, and went on to have a very positive Autumn Internationals, memorably beating England 37-42 at Twickenham.

Stuart Lancaster 9/1

While Stuart Lancaster is perhaps best known amongst Wales fans as the man who coached England as they failed to qualify out of the group stages of their own World Cup in 2015, since then, the 55-year-old has had a very positive club career.

In 2016, Lancaster was appointed head coach of Leinster, leading the Dublin-based club to four Pro14 titles and a Champions Cup title in his seven years in charge.

In 2023, Lancaster joined French side Racing 92 with his departure confirmed just last week after a difficult second season.

He may not be the first choice for fans, but Wales could do much worse than Lancaster.

Shaun Edwards 12/1

A man who would be significantly more popular than the other Englishman on this list, Shaun Edwards is still held in the very highest regard by Welsh fans.

Since leaving his role as Wales defence coach in 2019, Edwards came perilously close to taking a coaching role in his native England, before eventually joining Fabien Galthie’s staff at France.

Since joining France, Edwards has coached the side to a Grand Slam in 2022, as well as second place finishes in every other Six Nations that he has been a part of.

Undoubtedly the best defence of his generation, could Edwards be convinced to take the step up to the main role at international level for the first time?

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