GATLAND WANTED TO REPLACE PIVAC

WALES 34 AUSTRALIA 39

WALES are ready to turn to former head coach Warren Gatland with Wayne Pivac’s days in charge numbered.

Gatland (far right) is expected to be parachuted in on a near 12-month contract to lead Wales into another World Cup.

Fellow New Zealander Pivac (inset) will head to France today to scope out facilities on a World Cup recce and will return later this week to complete his autumn review with his WRU bosses.

And Pivac is expected to be told his three-year reign is up.

Only three wins in 12 games this year have sealed his fate.

Saturday’s second-half collapse when they let slip a 21-point lead against a makeshift Australian side in Cardiff appears to have been the final straw and paved the way for Dragons chiefs to send an SOS to Gatland.

He is in the UK working for Amazon Prime and is contracted to the Chiefs back in his homeland but could be tempted back on an interim basis alongside former assistant Rob Howley. Steve Tandy, currently in the Scotland coaching set-up, could also join his staff with a view to taking over in the long term. Ex-Wales great Jamie Roberts said: “It’s just not been good enough. “If that’s happening this year, what can we expect to happen at the World Cup?”