This question is surrounded by a forest of uncertainties.
The WRU is the target of bitter criticism. Who exactly will be making the choice, and who will be applying, knowing the pitiful state the Union has been allowed to fall into? Any potential Welsh candidates will be only too aware of the risks they run.
It’s usual for contenders to offer optimisitc views; they can learn a lot from certain television programmes. What the committee is hoping for is far less evident: certainly to see Wales rise above their current (as of 2 December) world ranking of tenth, but how much higher?
It’s far more likely that the person in the hot seat will be making the demands – quite the reverse of normal procedures. Every aspect from the personal – pay, pension, length of contract, etc. – to the vital details of the players’ best interests.
Women first
If we restrict ourselves to female candidates, then leading Welsh names include Liza Burgess, former distinguished national captain, and Rachel Taylor, current head coach of Sale Sharks. The choice of a woman would be in line with World Rugby’s approved policy.
Mention of Taylor leads to a closely related matter: would the selection committee prefer a candidate who has worked at national level, or be happy with success at club level? For all Taylor’s leadership qualities, she has been stuck with the problem of keeping rugby in northern England afloat.
Players themselves seem far less insistent on having a woman in charge. Their common cry is: ‘Give us the best coach!’
They have been discussing possiblilities among themselves, though even within that close-knit community there are differences. Some would prefer a coach who already has experience of women’s rugby; others are less concerned.
Other Options
If the selection committee prefers to support a Welsh candidate, then Sean Lynn, head coach of Gloucester-Hartpury, would be a leading option. His response to the news of Ioan Cunningham’s resignation was to say he had had no contact with the WRU, which is far from saying that he would reject an offer out of hand.
But would any coach of a PWR club (I’ve already mentioned two) be prepared to move from the high-quality and relatively secure environment of the PWR to the deeply uncertain world of Welsh rugby? Lynn’s Welsh players would certainly give him wholehearted backing, but he may prove to have stubborn doubts. In England a possible third successive trophy awaits him and his team, a unique achievement.
Other Welsh coaches may offer their services, not least from the Celtic Challenge. But neither Brython nor Gwalia have shone brightly there.
I have mentioned before Wales’ unusually close mirroring of Ireland’s fortunes across the past few years; Scott Bemand has led them out of a trough; he was previously assistant coach to Simon Middleton for England.
Would even Middleton be prepared to take on the challenge? He has worked as adviser to Lesley McKenzie with the Sakura of Japan, but may feel he has achieved as much as he can there. Bemand was fully aware of Ireland’s difficulties when he took over, but Middleton (among others) might well see Wales’ obstacles as insurmountable.
Time marches on
It’s likely to be the New Year before any decision is announced. Interviews will start after 16 December. With Wales due in Edinburgh on 22 March, that leaves precious little time for a new boss to imprint a new game-plan and a new outlook on the chosen squad. The restoration of confidence will be a priority.
In the meantime, all its likely members will be up to their eyes in PWR matches. They take a break only as the Six Nations approaches. So a difficulty recurs: how to assemble them at their training centre just outside Cardiff for long enough before things get really serious?
Above all: the coming interviews, then the final choice will need clear-headed thinking from the people in charge. That won’t be easy, given the barrage of criticism firing their way. For the squad, serious questions surrounding contracts appear far from settled.
For their sakes, we must hope for a prosperous outcome.
