BREAKING: Wayne Pivac SACKED and replacement confirmed

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) CEO Steve Phillips has confirmed Gatland will take charge of Wales for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations and at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, with the ability to go through the next World Cup cycle up to and including Australia 2027.

“I’m very much looking forward to returning to coach Wales,” said Gatland

“This is an opportunity to achieve something with a talented group of players in a country so passionate about rugby. A country which made my family and I so welcome, when we first arrived fifteen years ago, and all the time we were there.

“Our immediate priority is obviously the 2023 Guinness Six Nations and next year’s Rugby World Cup.

“There is little time for sentiment, professional sport is all about preparation, values and results. There will be new challenges as there always is with a change in head coach, but for me the environment, the players and their families will always come first.

“We must prepare to the best of our ability in the time available. We will value and respect each other, we will work hard and, if we get this right together, performances and results will follow.”

The WRU and New Zealand Rugby have reached agreement for Warren Gatland to be released from his existing contract with immediate effect.

As head coach of Wales from 2007 to 2019, he won four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams, and reached the semi-finals of the 2011 and 2019 Rugby World Cups.

Gatland was also head coach of the British & Irish Lions on three tours, to Australia in 2013, when they won the Test series 2–1; New Zealand in 2017, when the series was drawn; and South Africa in 2021, losing the series 2–1.

He has previously coached Connacht, Ireland, London Wasps, where he won three Premierships and the Heineken Cup, and Waikato, with whom he won the Air New Zealand Cup.

England head coach Eddie Jones huge pay-off details revealed as his future continues to be up in the air.

Sources suggest the Aussie will receive an £800,000 pay-out if he is sacked as England boss - but he wouldn't be able to take another job before the Rugby World Cup.

The RFU had promised a review, but sources indicated they could act before that to bring down the curtain on Jones’s seven-year tenure with the 2003 World Cup winners.

The Mail Online have reported that senior RFU performance executive Conor O’Shea was canvassing players.

A function involving Jones, senior RFU figures and members of the media was scheduled to take place on Monday, December 5, but that has now been postponed.

There preferred replacement for Jones would be Steve Borthwick, but that would require a payout in the region of £200,000 to get Leicester Tigers to release him from his current contract.

Departures of senior backroom staff, including team doctor Richard Tingay and recently arrived former Great Britain hockey coach Danny Kerry have been confirmed.

The duo's potential exit add more disruption to Jones' backroom staff which has faced significant upheaval over his tenure.

"Lazy player with a terrible workrate, decent positioning at times that sees him finish off the good work of other players and get all the undeserved credit. Poor tackler too."

” That man lived off his ‘solo’ try against Australia and managed to get in the England team every time. He couldn’t tackle a crossword! Lacks creativity and only works running a line of a short pass from number ten. Overrated definitely!”

"He had a few good years between 2011-2013 and then he has died down. Hasn't looked good as the commentary teams make him out to be."

"George bloody North!"

"I think it's important to separate the player he was back in 2013, with the player he became once injury and loss of form hit. Definitely overrated though, but I think that's the media's fault."

"Maybe he got so many caps as there's been such a paucity of Welsh second rows. Maybe."

"At this point he only gets chosen because Wales Online will go nuclear and blow up Cardiff if he doesn't"

"I really really really don't understand why he is rated so highly"

"H'es been a great player. But he should have been nowhere near the starting jersey for the Lions in my opinion."

One fan argue back, saying: "Maybe he’s got 12 lions caps in a row, won numerous 6N championships, been nominated for world player of the year twice 4 years apart, and is the record cap holder in history because he is one of the greatest locks of all time...maybe.

"If there’s one player in world rugby who has caused more people to have egg on their faces after writing him off and downplaying his rugby ability, it’s AWJ."

5. Finn Russell

"Going to be controversial but Sergio Parisse. Sure he had fantastic skills but he was a show pony and not a work horse and people often overlooked this. He looked fantastic for Italy but that was because he was allowed to do all the flashy stuff but was mediocre in other areas."

"I think Parisse got a lot of credit just for being a leader and a quality player in a poor Italy side and was never rated by anyone as anywhere near world class"

"Consistently made world xv teams on scant evidence."

"Never has a cliche ever fit a player more than overrated show pony for Sergio Parisse"

"Honestly.... by the end of his career Parisse."

"The French forward is a player who jumps to mind."

"His appearance was half his reputation. Whenever he was given the appropriate attention he folded."

"Talented athlete who put in the odd big tackle but when push came to shove he always seemed to wilt away from the physical side of the game."

"Maybe not any more but I think Chabal was always vastly overrated. He did the odd massive hit and good carry but overall his impact on most games was pretty average for a man with so much hype."