Steve Borthwick had some words of comfort for Matt Sherratt after the final whistle (Image: GETTY)
interim head coach Matt Sherratt has opened up on his private conversation with after their heavy defeat to . It was the darkest day for Welsh rugby in a very long time as their old enemies cruised to a thumping 68-14 victory in Cardiff. They ran in a total of 10 tries to condemn Wales to their heaviest home defeat, with no end in sight to their ongoing struggles.
The match was Sherratt’s final game in charge, having replaced Warren Gatland on an interim basis after last month’s defeat to Italy. He only signed until the end of the Six Nations and has made it clear that he does not want to be considered for the permanent role. The likes of Simon Easterby, Franco Smith and Michael Cheika have already been linked with the vacancy.
Wales slipped to their heaviest home defeat at the hands of their biggest rivals (Image: GETTY)
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Speaking after the final whistle against England, Sherratt revealed that Borthwick approached him to offer a crumb of comfort in the immediate aftermath of the chastening defeat.
“I just spoke to Steve Borthwick on the field after [the match],” said Sherratt. “He said that in his first Six Nations they lost to France at Twickenham by 50 points. He said he was devastated but he felt that the group needed it.
“It’s easy to say now, but there’s no point talking about learnings and that game in particular. There’s a reset going on there. There’s going to be a new director, a new head coach, and I think the next camp has to feel fresh for the players.”
Sherratt believes there is light at the end of the tunnel for Wales in spite of their current situation, but only if the WRU are prepared to oversee a rebuild from the ground up.
“I think there are some green shoots,” he added. “But listen, I think we knew where we were before this campaign started. It is just about getting the next couple of appointments right and then trying to build a base for the game.
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“It is always easy to look at the top of the pyramid, the national team and the regions. But any good team, it starts with the grassroots and the foundations, the academy, and that is what needs to be better.
“I will probably reflect over the next couple of days and then I will just give honest feedback and whatever is best for this playing group. There are some really good players. They just need to try and reset.
“There are going to be some fresh appointments over the next couple of weeks and I think it is just about resetting and trying to move forward as quickly as possible.
“I am not going to get drawn on the state of Welsh rugby. We know where we are, I think, and it is about moving forward in the next couple of weeks.”