Warren Gatland is set to leave his position as Wales rugby union head coach, with immediate effect, after a dismal run of 14 consecutive Test match defeats.
Wales lost 22-15 in Rome on Saturday, continuing a stretch that began with their 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina.
Related: The Breakdown | Time for Wales to face the Six Nations music as faith and form nosedive
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is expected to confirm the news later on Tuesday and would be required to appoint an interim head coach for remaining Six Nations fixtures against Ireland, Scotland and England. The current assistant coach, Rob Howley, filled that role during Gatland’s first reign when the New Zealander was on British and Irish Lions duties.
A permanent successor to Gatland, should he depart, would ideally be in place for the two-Test summer tour to Japan. Candidates in the mix could include the current Glasgow head coach, Franco Smith, the former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika and the Wales-based Simon Easterby, who is interim Ireland head coach for the Six Nations while Andy Farrell prepares to take charge of the Lions in Australia later this year.
Wales are not expected to remotely trouble Ireland in their next game, and they will arrive there from a new World Rugby-rankings low of 12th, having been overtaken by Georgia.
The WRU assessed Wales’ miserable Autumn Nations Series campaign earlier this season, which featured defeats against Fiji, Australia and South Africa, before backing Gatland to continue. But speaking at the time, the WRU’s chief executive, Abi Tierney, said: “I’ve had a number of very honest conversations with Warren, and I will make no secret of the fact that his position was on the line as we undertook our review. Further than that, like any head coach in any sport, he knows the security of his position is directly related to the performances of the team, and that this is a situation that will continue to intensify.”
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