Scrum doctor linked with Wales job won over Welsh stars by being 'ahead of his time'
The wording of the Welsh Rugby Union's statement on Warren Gatland's future before Christmas was, perhaps deliberately, a little ambiguous.
Gatland's place in charge of the team was safe for now, but changes to his coaching ticket were not ruled out ahead of the Six Nations.
"Adaptations to the current set-up assisting Gatland will also be considered immediately with the ambition of improving mindset, mentality and culture within the squad by introducing additional personnel," read one of the key recommendations from the latest review.
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On the face of it, that could mean a new kit man, but WRU CEO Abi Tierney confirmed afterwards that the Union would look for a coach to supplement Gatland's team - depending on who was available.
Mid-season, that's quite a hurdle. Time certainly was a factor in deciding not to search for a new head coach. And while it's not as pressing in finding someone to add to Gatland's set-up, it still certainly plays a part.
Someone like Adam Jones seems destined to coach Wales sooner or later, but right now he's contracted with Harlequins. Graham Rowntree, having left Munster earlier in the season, is readily available and has worked with Gatland before on Lions tours.
But, according to reports, it could be a man familiar to Rowntree who has become available to the Union at the right time. It was only a matter of hours that passed after Gallagher Premiership champions Northampton announcing that scrum coach Matt Ferguson would be leaving at the end of the season that links to the Welsh coaching ticket emerged.
There's a small caveat with these reports. With Gatland essentially having the Six Nations to prove he's the man to lead Wales forward after a winless 2024, it seems unlikely that the WRU would sign off on Ferguson joining at the end of the season.
Were he to link up with Wales, doing so alongside his Northampton job ahead of the Six Nations seems the likeliest bet. Logistics aside, what about the man himself?
Ferguson's name might not be one all that familiar with casual supporters, but he's certainly enjoyed a varied and successful coaching career.
Prior to his time with Northampton, Ferguson has worked with England women - while he also had spells with Cardiff, Bristol and London Welsh.
It was at Cardiff and London Welsh that Ferguson worked under Justin Burnell, with few knowing Ferguson as well. The pair even lived in a flat together while working in London.
"I'm very good friends with Fergie," said Burnell. "The nice part about his story is he's done everything the right way.
"He wasn't a professional player, he hasn't finished up with 30-odd caps. He's done everything the hard way."
Having found his way into coaching while playing for Stourbridge, he ended up as Shropshire's first community rugby coach - a role partly funded by the RFU and the council.
A chance encounter with Rowntree ignited his coaching career, after Ferguson had done a presentation at a Midlands coaching conference.
A video of Ferguson showing how clubs could improve scrummaging techniques using £20 worth of random equipment - namely, a Swiss ball, a broomstick, and a tyre - found its way to Rowntree, who was impressed. A meeting at a service station off the M6 followed, with the former England prop viewing Ferguson as his 'scrum guru'.
The pair worked together in the RFU's Scrum Factory, before Ferguson spent two years as England women's forward coach between 2009 and 2011. That led to his chance with Cardiff, with even the fact that he turned up to the interview in his England gear not putting off the Arms Park side.
"We were in Cardiff at the time and were looking for a scrum coach," recalls Burnell. "I did some research and Graham Rowntree said the person with the most potential would be an unrecognised person. That was Fergie.
"I met him and the rest is history. What you had was typical Welsh rugby, with people saying they'd employed a guy who had only ever done women's rugby.
"But when he came in, Gethin Jenkins really warmed to him. He came in as a totally unknown person. But he won people over because of his knowledge and work ethic. As well as Gethin, there was T. Rhys Thomas who was a big fan of his.
"Taufaʻao Filise, Paul Tito, Bradley Davies, Sam Warburton and Xavier Rush, who really warmed to him as well. You think of the calibre of people he was working with.
"We had a good year and reached the quarter-final against Leinster in the Heineken Cup. We beat Biarritz and Racing. He was fantastic.
"He left us and went to Bristol with Andy Robinson. Then, he came to London Welsh with us and all the boys loved him. From there, he went to England women and reached a World Cup final.
"The job he's done with Northampton has been phenomenal. It doesn't surprise me if he's being considered for a job with Wales. It's fantastic as he's done it all the right way.
"A great person, who is technically aware. Looking at Northampton winning the league last year, he's one of the catalysts for that. He's really brought them on.
"I remember meeting him and Chris Boyd down the Vale when Northampton were playing the Ospreys in Europe. Chris could not speak highly enough of Fergie, seeing what I saw years before.
"As a bloke, he's fantastic. When he was at London Welsh, he lived with me in a flat in London. So I suppose I know him better than most! If Warren is genuinely looking at him, he's looking in the right place. He's got everything and has done it the right way."
Those at Northampton speak highly of Ferguson, with his impact in recent years clear to see. A number of players have made the step-up from club to Test rugby from his coaching, with his eye for detail crucial to his work.
"His understanding and his technical knowledge was a breath of fresh air," adds Burnell. "I remember the good old days of coaching the scrum, putting the scrummaging machine against a tree and seeing if you can push the tree down.
When you look back on that, you think what were we doing? But he was very good on a one-to-one basis. He'd break the scrum down, to just the prop and hooker, or just one side of the scrum. He was ahead of his time.
"He's a fantastic person and would be a tremendous asset. It's what Welsh rugby needs, I think.
"Maybe some of those players in the setup need someone like Fergie to work with them. Someone like Archie Griffin is sat behind some of the best props in the world at Bath, but maybe he needs someone to work with him.
"I think he'd be a fantastic fit for the job."
