Former Wales manager Wayne Pivac is preparing to come out of “partial retirement” and start a new chapter when he heads to Italy next week to take charge of Benetton.
Pivac, 63, was announced as the new manager of the United Rugby Championship (URC) team in March and will arrive in northern Italy from New Zealand to begin pre-season preparations.
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It could have been very different had Pivac had his time as Wales coach, but he paid the price losing at home to Georgia in November 2022.
He played in Japan before returning home to New Zealand where he admits his coaching career may be over.
But Benetton’s opportunity presented itself and the well-traveled Kiwi found himself back in the north of the country.
In the latest Scrum V podcast, Pivac explained his decision to extend his career, recounted how his Welsh career ended and explained why Welsh rugby would look very different if the Ospreys and Scarlets had teamed up in 2019.
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Pivac and Patchell prepare for life in Italy
Wayne Pivac became the fourth New Zealander to coach Wales after Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Warren Gatland. [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
Pivac has signed a contract as first team coach with the Italian club until June 2028, with an option for two more seasons.
“After Japan, we came back to New Zealand to retire,” Pivac said.
“I was helping my local club by training coaches and recruiting in schools, identifying young talents, which I was happy to do.
“I told my agent it would have to be something special and a few clubs came up that didn’t like me.
“Then a call came that Benetton wanted to have an interview.
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“We did that quickly, one Zoom led to another, and before you know it, we decided to accept the offer, so that’s where we’re headed.”
Pivac has brought in former Scarlets and Wales fly-half Rhys Patchell as his attack coach.
“I know Rhys well and he has an excellent job,” said Pivac.
“We signed him from Cardiff and he was a big part of us winning the championship with the Scarlets in 2017 and that was a special time for Welsh county rugby.
“He understood the way we wanted to play and he was able to do what we wanted on the pitch and in training.”
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Pivac believes the two will improve each other despite the 30-year age gap.
“He will make a great coach,” said Pivac. “I know the people at Benetton are happy with the one signing I’ve made so far, which is Rhys.
“I’m looking forward to helping him start his coaching career.
“For a young coach to have an older coach with experience, it’s a win-win.
“He’ll keep me young and hopefully I’ll help him through the trying times so he can relax and enjoy what he’s got.”
Could it be Wayne Pivac?
Georgia players celebrate after their first win against Wales in November 2022 [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
After leading the Scarlets to Pro12 success in 2017, Pivac replaced Warren Gatland after the 2019 World Cup.
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Pivac won the 2021 Six Nations during his three-year spell as Wales boss and became the first Wales men’s coach to achieve victory against the Springboks in South Africa in 2022 with victory in Bloemfontein.
Pivac was replaced by Gatland in 2022 who won 13 of 34 games with a 13-12 home defeat against Georgia in November 2022 proving a defining moment.
Georgia was embroiled in a doping scandal when former captain Merab Sharikadze was banned for 11 years for his part in a secret scheme that helped national team players cheat anti-doping tests.
Sharikadze, who led Georgia to that victory over Wales in Cardiff, admitted he gave three of his team-mates ‘clean’ urine.
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Hooker Giorgi Chkoidze was banned for six years, while Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi and Miriani Modebadze were banned for three years, and Lasha Lomidze was banned for nine months.
World Rugby, which has flagged irregularities in the team’s samples ahead of the 2023 World Cup, says Georgia was the subject of “the most comprehensive anti-doping investigation ever undertaken in rugby”, but that performance-enhancing drugs were not a motive for cheating.
Pivac says the defeat against Georgia was the final disappointment of his Wales coaching career, although there would be another defeat in his tenure following the loss to Australia.
“It’s been going on and on,” Pivac said.
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“At the time it was disappointing to leave the place and perhaps equally disappointing to hear the news [of Georgia’s doping bans] in recent times.
“I have no regrets. I enjoyed nine years in Wales and loved every minute of it.
“I’m looking forward to going back with Benetton [in October] when we play the Scarlets because I have a lot of friends with good memories.”
