Matt Sherratt said it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down when WRU CEO Abi Tierney called him last night to offer him the Wales interim head coach role for the remainder of the Guinness Six Nations following the departure of Warren Gatland.

After receiving permission from Cardiff Rugby earlier today, Sherratt will take charge of Wales’ final three matches in the competition from Monday after he returns from the Blue and Blacks’ BKT United Rugby Championship fixture against Connacht this weekend.

Speaking to the media at Wales’ press conference, alongside Tierney and interim performance director Huw Bevan, Sherratt, said: “You never get these opportunities when things are going well and I never expected this to happen.

“I know many of the players very well and many of the staff so I was never going to turn it down.

“There’s a hard side to this when a class coach like Warren leaves Welsh rugby but this means so much to me.”

Sherratt confirmed he is not considering the permanent head coach role having recently signed a new long-term deal with Cardiff.

“This will be until the end of the Six Nations.

“I am contracted to Cardiff. It is not something I will be putting my name forward for.

“I will do it until the end of the Six Nations and then go back to Cardiff.”

Wales have lost their last 14 matches and face an Ireland team who are top of the Six Nations table having won two from two and won the past two editions of the competition.

If Wales are to defeat Ireland, Sherratt believes it will come down to a change of mindset, where he will encourage his players to be brave and take attacking options.

“It feels like when I arrived at Cardiff who were at a low ebb at the time,” added Sherratt.

“I’ve probably only got four training sessions before Ireland so we can’t change much technically or tactically but it’s about changing the mindset.

“If I go into the dressing room and talk about needing to win, I will lose the room straight away.

“The likes of Taulupe Faletau, Tomos Williams and Jac Morgan don’t need me to tell them that. They want to win every game.

“It’s about changing the mindset right now. I’ll be myself, play the rugby I like to play with players being brave and taking positive options.”

“These guys are winners. I want the players to be brave, where there are 50:50 decisions I want them to take the attacking one.

“I don’t think performance and winning are separate things. On Monday morning when we meet up, we want to beat Ireland.”