Could Howley be set for a shock return to Wales?
ROB Howley has emerged as a shock contender to join Warren Gatland as part of Wales’ Rugby World Cup coaching ticket should they decide to get rid of Wayne Pivac.
A sub-committee of the main Welsh Rugby Union board met last week to discuss potential options to succeed Pivac after the New Zealander finished the year with a shocking three wins from 12 test matches.
And WalesOnline understands Howley’s name was discussed as an option to join Gatland as part of a revamped coaching set up which they hope can help Wales be competitive in France next autumn.
Nothing is certain, and there were numerous other options discussed in the meeting, but it is no secret Gatland is an admirer of the former Wales scrumhalf who was his attack coach between 2008 and 2019, the last time the Kiwi was at the helm.
Should Howley be brought back into the fold it would undoubtedly cause controversy after he was sent home from the 2019 World Cup and banned for 18 months for breaching betting rules.
The 52-year-old is currently Canada’s assistant coach and has been out of topclass rugby for three years. But during his tenure as Wales attack coach, he helped engineer three Six Nations Grand Slams and a World Cup semi-final appearance.
He also led Wales to the Six Nations title in 2013 as caretaker head coach and presided over the famous 30-3 victory over England which clinched the championship. But, first things first, Wales need to decide whether they want to part ways with Pivac who is contracted until the conclusion of the World Cup.
One potential complication is Pivac’s back-room team, with a new head coach very likely to want to bring his own staff at significant extra cost to the WRU.
WRU CEO Steve Phillips announced yesterday he will be undertaking a review into Wales’ underwhelming autumn campaign, but it is very likely he will decide to move on from Pivac with Gatland his preferred choice as a replacement.
Scott Robertson, Steve Tandy, Steve Borthwick, Ronan O’Gara, and Pat Lam are other names who have been mentioned.
Whether the WRU see fit to approach Howley remains to be seen but one thing which is certain is that his significant achievements as a coach prior to his ban have not been forgotten with one source claiming it would be a shock if he didn’t end up in a top job in the near future.
SEAN Holley has given the Welsh Rugby Union both barrels after Wales’s dismal series of autumn results, culminating in defeat by Australia in Cardiff on Saturday.
Wayne Pivac is in grave danger of losing his job as Wales head coach after three defeats in four November Tests, including the 39-34 loss to the Wallabies which saw Pivac’s side throw away a 21-point lead with just 23 minutes to play.
Holley accepted there was a major case against Pivac in terms of results and performances.
But he also hit out at the system and, in particular, at the WRU, suggesting they had become a “faceless institution” and agreeing they were no longer fit for purpose.
“It’s awful isn’t it that we’re having to talk about the plight of one man,” he said as a panellist on BBC Wales’ Scrum V programme.
“What we have been seeing has been coming in my opinion. It’s a product of the current system. But there are far deeper issues in Welsh rugby than Wayne Pivac.
“However, having said that, 13 wins out of 34 says it all. Three wins out of the last 12 and no back-to-back (wins), a lot of selection issues, chopping and changing. Have we seen a different style of play? Maybe not.”
The defeat by a severely depleted Australia “put the tin hat on it”, according to Holley.
When asked about the WRU and whether the organisation was fit for purpose, the former Ospreys and Bristol coach said: “No, I don’t think it is.
“I think it’s a bit archaic. I speak to loads of stakeholders – players, coaches, administrators, sponsors, CEO’s of regions, lots of different people – and very rarely do you get anybody who says a positive word about the WRU.”
Holley continued: “I feel it’s become a faceless institution. You rarely hear from the CEO.
“We’ve had a very bland and grey statement in writing there. You never see him.
“When David Moffett was here – all right, some people didn’t agree with him, but you saw him and heard him a lot.”
There’s a widespread view that the governance issues in the union require clubs to cede some of their power to the top end of the game where most of the finance is generated, with many believing the community game has disproportionate influence.
“There’s that feeling that turkeys won’t vote for Christmas,” said Holley. “Maybe there’s a lack of communication around why we need this and the benefits it could have – the greater benefits.
“There’s a tremendous amount of self-interest in Welsh rugby at all levels. Without the community game, we don’t have the development of players to play the high-end game. But the revenue really comes from the highend game.
“All the people at the stadium on Saturday that go to the games and so on – that cascades in some form down to the community clubs.
“We need each other, but it’s not joined-up thinking. I don’t understand how it can’t change.”