The former prop will coach the breakdown and defence
Gethin Jenkins replaces Sam Warburton in Wales coaching set-up
Wales have announced that former loosehead Gethin Jenkins will replace Sam Warburton in Wayne Pivac’s coaching team.
Jenkins will take up the technical role coaching breakdown/defence, working closely with defence coach Byron Hayward. It is a job Warburton had for 11 months but the former Wales and Lions captain, 32, has opted to spend time on commitments away from coaching.
“I’m relishing the opportunity to get stuck into the International environment,” said Jenkins, who was capped 129 times for Wales.
“I would like to thank Richard Holland, John Mulvihill and Gruff Rees for giving me the opportunity to start my coaching career at Cardiff Blues. I would also like to thank Steve Law at Cardiff RFC for giving me free rein to experience preparing a team on a week-to-week basis.
“I’m well versed on the demands of the international game and I’m looking forward to offering my input and where I can add to the environment.”
On the appointment, Pivac said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Gethin into the coaching team. He has vast experience of the International game and is hugely respected.
“Since retiring he has built a great reputation as a coach and has worked across different levels and age-grades of the game, most recently working alongside Wales’ U20 side. Gethin will be a great addition to the coaching team and will complement Byron extremely well in their respective roles and I’m looking forward to working with him.
“I’d like to thank Sam for his hard work over the last year and what he has given to the team and to Wales. I would like to thank him for his honesty regarding his future and the need to spend more time on other projects away from the game and wish him all the best in that.”
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