Pivac comes out of semi-retirement for new Italy life

Former Wales coach Wayne Pivac is preparing to come out of "semi-retirement" and begin a new chapter when he travels to Italy next week to take charge of Benetton.

Pivac, 63, was announced as the new boss of the United Rugby Championship (URC) side in March and will arrive in northern Italy from New Zealand to start pre-season preparations.

It could have been very different for Pivac had his time as Wales coach worked out, but he paid the price for losing at home to Georgia in November 2022.

A stint in Japan followed before he returned home to New Zealand where he admits his coaching career might have been over.

But the Benetton opportunity arose and the well-travelled Kiwi has found himself back in the northern hemisphere.

In the latest Scrum V podcast, Pivac has explained his decision to prolong his career, recounted how his Wales career finished and outlined why Welsh rugby could have looked a lot different if the Ospreys and Scarlets had merged in 2019.

Pivac has signed a contract as first-team head coach with the Italian club until June 2028, with the option of two further seasons.

"After Japan, we had come back to New Zealand with a view of just sort of semi-retiring," said Pivac.

"I've been helping the local club with coaching coaches and doing recruiting out of the schools, identifying the young talents, which I've enjoyed doing.

"I said to my agent it'd have to be something special and a few clubs popped up which weren't of interest.

"Then the phone call came through that Benetton were interested in having a conversation.

"We did that quickly, one Zoom led to another, and before you know it, we decided to accept an offer, so that's where we're heading."

Pivac has brought in former Scarlets and Wales fly-half Rhys Patchell as his attack coach.

"I know Rhys pretty well and he has got a fantastic work ethic," 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 in Welsh regional rugby.

"He understood the way we wanted to play and was able to execute what we wanted on the field and in training."

Pivac believes the duo will improve each other despite a 30-year age gap.

"He's going to make a very good coach," said Pivac. "I know the Benetton people are excited about the one and only signing I've done to date, which is Rhys.

"I am looking forward to helping him kickstart his coaching career.

"For a young coach to be in with an older experienced coach, it's a win-win.

"He'll keep me young and hopefully I'll help him in the trying moments to relax and enjoy it for what it is."

After leading Scarlets to Pro12 success in 2017, Pivac replaced Warren Gatland after the 2019 World Cup.

Pivac won the 2021 Six Nations during a three-year spell as Wales boss and became the first Welsh men's coach to achieve a victory against the Springboks in South Africa in 2022 with victory in Bloemfontein.

Pivac was replaced by Gatland in 2022 having won 13 of 34 games with the 13-12 home defeat against Georgia in November 2022 proving the defining moment.

Georgia have since been embroiled in a doping scandal which saw former captain Merab Sharikadze banned for 11 years for his part in a secret scheme which helped national team players cheat anti-doping tests.

Sharikadze, who led Georgia to that famous win over Wales in Cardiff, admitted providing 'clean' urine to three team-mates.

Hooker Giorgi Chkoidze was banned for six years, with Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi and Miriani Modebadze receiving three-year suspensions, and Lasha Lomidze being banned for nine months.

World Rugby, who flagged anomalies in samples from the team in the run-up to the 2023 World Cup, says Georgia were the subject of "the most extensive anti-doping investigation ever undertaken in rugby", but that performance-enhancing drugs were not the motivation for the deception.

Pivac says defeat against Georgia was the final straw in his Wales coaching career, although there was to be one more defeat in his tenure following a loss against Australia.

"It's a long time ago and you do move on," said Pivac.

"At the time it was disappointing to walk away from the role and then probably equally disappointing to hear that news [of Georgia's doping bans] in recent times.

"I've no regrets. I enjoyed nine years in Wales and loved every minute of it.

"I'm looking forward to going back again with Benetton [in October] when we play Scarlets because I've got so many friends there with great memories."