New Zealander is versed in Welsh rugby culture but says squad have still had plenty of learning to do for Barbarians gameThe sacking of Unai Emery by
Arsenal, one day before Wayne Pivac’s first match as Wales’s head coach against the Barbarians, was another reminder of the perils of taking over from an institution. High expectations mean a very short honeymoon period, which is why one of the contenders to succeed Warren Gatland ruled himself out, saying privately that there would be a greater chance of longevity waiting for the next vacancy.
He reckoned that might only be two years given how quickly in the past the Welsh rugby public had turned on coaches. Pivac, along with his management team, has signed a four-year contract, but it contains a break clause in 2021. Gatland lasted 12 years, a record for a tier one coach in the professional era, and delivered sustained success to a nation used to famine being interrupted by the occasional feast.