Pivac aims to build on Gatland legacy
Wayne Pivac pledged to embrace the pressure of the Wales head coach role and emulate Warren Gatland’s achievements after being officially confirmed as the successor to his fellow New Zealander.
Gatland — who has won two Six Nations Grand Slams and reached a World Cup semifinal with Wales — will leave his post after next year’s global showpiece in Japan.
Pivac was chosen ahead of Dave Rennie and Scott Robertson after a two-year appointment process.
Pivac’s record at the Scarlets — where he won the Guinness Pro12 title in 2017 — earned him the job and he was in positive mood at the Principality Stadium yesterday.
“Warren has had success by winning Grand Slams and that’s something I want to achieve, too,” said the 55-year-old. “There’s no reason why you can’t have success. People at the Scarlets probably felt we were a way off a few years ago but with a bit of hard work, you can achieve great things. I’m sure the talent in Wales will give us every opportunity to do well.”
Pivac has signed a four-year deal and will remain in charge of the Scarlets until July 2019. The former Auckland policeman had previous international experience coaching Fiji.
“I’ve had a taste of international rugby and loved it. This is a big job and with that comes huge responsibility but you’ve got to be confident you can do it. You can’t be overconfident but I look forward to everything that gets thrown in front of me.
“From the day I left Fiji, I wanted to have another opportunity at international rugby, and once you get a taste of something, you want a bit more. I’m a lot more mature as a coach now and this job is something I’m going to enjoy.”
Pivac will become the 23rd Wales coach. Former Wales first-five Stephen Jones is a contender to join him as backs coach but back-room appointments are on hold for now.
The WRU made a point to thank the Scarlets for their cooperation in Pivac’s appointment. The club’s enterprising brand of rugby has resulted in their players forming the backbone of the current Wales side and much of that is down to Pivac.
“I see myself as a Welsh coach,” he said. “I am from New Zealand but don’t feel like an outsider. It’s an advantage to know regional rugby the way I do and one thing I like to do in any job is create an environment where players enjoy coming to work. If I can do that with Wales, then we’ll have success.”