Franco Smith "honoured" to be linked to Wales head coach role

02/14/2025 05:00 PM

FRANCO SMITH played his cards close to his chest earlier today when asked about the possibility that he might replace Warren Gatland as head coach of the Wales national team.

Reports from the Principality suggest that the South African along with former Wales international and current Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby are top of the Welsh Rugby Union’s list of potential replacements for Gatland, who stepped down from the job of leading the beleaguered Wales national men’s team earlier this week after a run of 14 consecutive defeats stretching back to the 2023 World Cup.

Matt Sherratt has been seconded from Cardiff to take temporary charge of the team through the remainder of the Six Nations, with the Welsh Rugby Union actively hunting a more permanent appointment. Former Leinster and Australia head coach Michael Chieka (who is leaving Leicester Tigers at the end of the season), former Scarlets head coach and Scotland assistant coach Brad Mooar (currently an assistant coach at the Crusaders in his native New Zealand), and former England head coach Stuart Lancaster (who was recently sacked by Racing 92) have also been linked to the job.

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Smith did not rule out the possibility of leaving Glasgow Warriors to take over Wales when asked about the speculation earlier today, but did stress that his focus is fully on preparing his Warriors team for Sunday’s trip to Wales to take on Dragons, the run-in to the end of the season and assembling a squad for the following season.

"This is a difficult one to answer,” he said. “Obviously, my focus is absolutely here with the squad for now. I’ve got no real comment to make.

“It’s a compliment to be mentioned in all these conversations and I’m appreciative of that. For now, I’m just focusing on what’s going to happen next year.

"My contract is until the end of 2026, so although there are conversations, and I’m really privileged and honoured to be a part of it, but for now, I’m not going to be distracted from what needs to be done next year."

Smith has been a roaring success in his time so far as head coach at Glasgow, leading the team to the URC title last year playing an ambitious and attractive brand of rugby, whilst simultaneously bringing through several youngsters – including Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, Gregor Hiddleston and Jamie Dobie – who have the potential to form the backbone of not just the Warriors but the Scotland team during the coming decade.

"I did see Alex Williamson yesterday, but for a general visit,” replied Smith, when asked if Scottish Rugby’s new Chief Executive had spoken to him about his future. “It was the first time I met him, he’s been in the building, [so I] got to know him a little bit.

"We daily speak around everybody’s future here, seeing that it’s this time of year where contract periods and extensions need to be done, [and] still the last couple of nails need to be hit in the coffin regarding the academy side of things.

"We’re obviously waiting for David Nucifora to come through and discuss this, so there’s a lot of talk, but everybody’s name has come up in all these conversations."

Smith has been tipped as the likely next coach of Scotland, whenever Gregor Townsend moves on from that position, and that looks like a more promising opportunity than taking over a Wales team bereft of x-factor players and confidence. But the 52-year-old certainly did not dismiss out of hand the prospect of a move to Cardiff

Townsend signed a contract-extension in May 2023 through to April 2026 ( if it runs its full course), which would handily coincide with Smith’s current deal running out.

There is also the possibility that the South African may be lined-up as the next Performance Director of Scottish Rugby, with Australian Nucifora appointed to that role on a consultancy basis last August and tasked with a two-year project to get the appropriate structures in place within the department before finding his own permanent replacement.

Smith has experience of being both an international head coach and a Performance Director from his time with Italy, and clearly feels he has unfinished business operating that level.

"Obviously, it’s a dream to be involved at that level of rugby,” he said. ‘The Italian stint [as head coach] was difficult because they were unprepared – no succession planning after 2019. I had to pick 13 under-21s in the Six Nations and that was brutal because you can’t build a team at international level.

"So, that experience wasn’t ideal, although it was a great experience. I learned a lot of lessons and it’s something I would like to apply in a different environment better.

"I loved coming back from the performance director role. I really enjoyed that for a big period, but I was away from the game on a day-to-day basis and I did miss it on the pitch. That’s why I returned to coaching.

"I think I’ve gained a lot of experience in the boardroom and the structural part and the set-up of the structure around the development programme and pathways.

"I loved it, but it reaches a political and financial barrier which I as a coach got frustrated with. Therefore, I moved back to coaching and I’m so grateful for the opportunity here at Glasgow.

"The coaching side of things and seeing the players develop and seeing how they become better people and better men through the game of rugby is the thing that gets me up in the morning."

Smith was also cagey when asked about the status of breakthrough star Jack Mann, who has been released from Scotland’s Six Nations training squad to play in Sunday’s match, and who is reportedly moving to Gloucester next season on a three-year deal.

"I can’t confirm or deny anything around that yet,” he said. “I know it’s maybe a worst-kept secret. For now, I can speak to you about him as a Glasgow player and the way he goes about his business.

"He’s grabbed his opportunities. He’s working hard to improve even more. I think his contribution this weekend is going to be aimed for himself, his own standards to be high, and for him to help himself to make the next step to become an international.

"For now, that is a compliment to the way he’s worked and also a bit of a reward for the effort and time he’s spent awaiting this opportunity.

"That is the thing we try to do here. Everybody must put their hand up this weekend to be selected for Scotland.  Jack has maybe got an inside lane now because he’s already in the group. I hope that everybody rolls out a performance that Scotland can be proud of."

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