Sherratt to Wales: Why now and what next?

There is rarely an uneventful Monday morning in Welsh rugby.

Just six days before the new United Rugby Championship (URC) starts, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) announce the signing of Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt.

The 47-year-old is re-joining the national side, this time as permanent attack coach as part of Steve Tandy's backroom staff.

While Cardiff will have undoubtedly known this was coming, the timing is far from ideal with the new season kicking off at home to Lions on Saturday.

Players and fans will will also be left disappointed. Sherratt was a popular figurehead at the Arms Park, defying the odds amid financial constraints in recent seasons to reach the knock-out stages in the URC and Europe.

Cardiff clearly meant a lot to him, but ultimately an opportunity to coach international rugby was something he "could not turn down".

Known throughout the game as "Jockey", Sherratt's latest appointment will be his fourth stint with Wales.

He took over as caretaker head coach for three games in the 2025 Six Nations after Warren Gatland stood down and led the summer tour of Japan, where Wales finally ended their record run of 18 consecutive Test defeats.

As evident in his first game in charge against Ireland this year, Sherratt, briefly Wales assistant in 2017, brings attacking shape and intent to his sides.

He ensures each player knows their role, while giving them a licence to play what is in front of them, bravery with structure so to speak.

As well as being a fine technical coach, Sherratt is also renowned for creating positive environments, for putting smiles on faces and bringing positive energy.

And with Wales currently lurking at 12th in the world rankings, smiles are something Welsh rugby desperately needs right now.

"Ultimately he is very much a people person," former Cardiff scrum-half and assistant coach Richie Rees told the Scrum V podcast.

"The intricacies of the game and the detail in and around what to do, when to do it, tactically what does the game look like, he is excellent."

Sherratt hinted during the summer tour that he would have liked to combine roles with Wales and Cardiff, much like he did during the Six Nations.

But he takes on his new role on a full-time basis.

"Working with the Wales national team is a full-time job," WRU director of rugby Dave Reddin said earlier this month.

"No-one is coming here for a rest from club rugby. This is full-on. That's the only way we're going to drive success moving forward."

Given the uncertainty around the regional game right now, Wales could appear the safer job.

But while Sherratt should not be blamed for pursuing international ambitions in a more preferred "hands-on" role, the timing must be questioned.

Tandy was announced as head coach back in July before formally taking up the reins on 1 September.

Questions have to be asked why the WRU, who have owned Cardiff since they went into temporary administration in April, did not get Sherratt's appointment over the line weeks ago.

And if it was only just finalised, would it have been better for him to be allowed to continue in his Cardiff role until the autumn internationals to allow time for a successor to bed in.

Cardiff will head into the new season with assistants Corniel van Zyl, Jonny Goodridge, Scott Andrews and Gethin Jenkins in charge.

Interim managing director, Jamie Muir, said the club has full confidence in that team, though have also started the process to find Sherratt's long-term successor.

"They're without a chief executive and now they're without a head coach - it's tough times," said Rees.

"There's definitely going to be changes made. For me, it has to be Gethin Jenkins who now leads the group, but he needs to be supported in that role to help him succeed."

While one of Sherratt's assistants may fancy the top job, there are other coaches around who could be tempted with a stint in the Welsh capital.

Could former Wales attack coach Stephen Jones be lured back home after two years with New Zealand-based Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika?

If that were to be the case, three of Wales' regions would be headed up by relatively young Welsh coaches, with Mark Jones at Ospreys and Dwayne Peel at Scarlets.

Cardiff fans will be hugely disappointed to lose a head coach who has become hugely popular at the Arms Park.

Rees said Sherratt's decision to take the job came as little surprise, especially with the WRU consulting on plans to reduce the number of regions by half to two.

"With all that's going on in Wales, this job [with Wales] offer a bit more stability for Matt and his family for the next couple of years," he said.

Rees also thinks Sherratt's previous history of working with Tandy and Wales' new forwards coach Danny Wilson puts them in good stead.

"They are going to be a tight-knit coaching group once it's finished," he said.

"It was something Matt couldn't turn down and it's quite clearly been in the fire for a few months now."

This is Tandy's second appointment since taking charge having brought in his former colleague Danny Wilson to look after the line-out and contact areas.

But with autumn internationals against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa looming in November, Tandy needs to get his skates on in filling the other roles.

Tandy was defence coach with Scotland but would he be able to fulfill that role with Wales as well as his head coach responsibilities?

Jenkins had the job in Japan while Rhys Thomas, another involved in the summer tour, has committed himself to Gloucester while Adam Jones has been confirmed among the coaching staff at Harlequins.

The clock is ticking.