WRU to hold board meeting in next 48 hours as immediate Gatland axe to be discussed
Warren Gatland's future as head coach of Wales will be discussed at a Welsh Rugby Union board meeting this Wednesday.
The WRU board decided to grant Gatland a stay of execution at the end of 2024, a year in which Wales failed to win a single Test match. He was challenged to turn around Wales' ailing fortunes in the Six Nations before another review at the end of the Championship.
Not even the most one-eyed Wales fan would have expected anything out of the trip to Paris but last weekend's clash with Italy in Rome was always going to be decisive for Gatland. Unfortunately, Wales slipped to a 22-15 defeat and it would be a huge upset if they succeeded in winning any of their three remaining fixtures against Ireland, Scotland and England, respectively.
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Wednesday's WRU board meeting is a scheduled gathering but Gatland's immediate future will inevitably be discussed.
WalesOnline have been told by numerous high-ranking Welsh rugby sources there is a break clause in Gatland's contract which can be activated this summer. On the flipside, if the WRU were to sack Gatland before the summer it could cost them in the region of £2m. CEO Abi Tierney has previously stated any break clause was not a consideration in Gatland's future.
The key question is whether removing Gatland as head coach midway through the Six Nations and installing a caretaker would lead to a bounce in performance. If the WRU believe it would, one potential solution could be to put Gatland on gardening leave and promote one of his assistants or bring in one of the regional coaches on secondment until the end of the Championship.
Prior to the Six Nations the WRU backed Gatland to turn things around, but a record 14 Test match defeats in a row cannot be ignored by those in power. Just as importantly, the lack of any signs of improvement in performance over the past year is troubling.
There are also huge financial ramifications to finishing bottom of the Six Nations for the second season in succession due to an uplift in prize money the higher up the table a side finishes. While Gatland's past successes have to be respected it is very difficult to see a way back for the former British & Irish Lions coach.
There is also the possibility of Gatland making the decision himself to step back given the high volume of vociferous criticism he has received from ex-players, journalists and supporters on social media. These options will inevitably be discussed at this week's board meeting but one thing that looks almost certain is that Gatland will not be in charge of Wales for much longer.
