By Iestyn Thomas
Wales head coach Matt Sherratt admitted he was left “gutted” following Wales’ 68-14 Six Nations drubbing against England at the Principality Stadium, his final game as interim head coach.
Steve Borthwick’s side ran in 10 tries, including a brace for debutant Henry Pollock off the bench.
Cardiff boss Sherratt, who stepped in temporarily when Warren Gatland departed mid-tournament, said: “I’m gutted that I couldn’t help them get a win, they probably deserve one, they honestly do but we were honestly miles off that today.
“I’m disappointed I couldn’t get some smiles on faces in that changing room, that’s probably my regret today.
“There’s a great group of lads in the dressing room, really good staff, good people so I really feel for them.
“It was one of those days wasn’t it, it looked like a game too many.
“We’ve got to be aware probably the last seven to eight weeks have been emotional, the playing group have been through a fair bit – and the staff.
“The little things went against us in the game today and it probably opened up some wounds.”
England were physically dominant in their rout in the Welsh capital, yet the suggestion from Sherratt is for Wales to go for a different approach.
“I’m not a coach to say we lack power, my job is to find a different way,” he said.
“Perhaps as a nation we’ve got to have ball movement, better shape, try and get one-v-ones and play a faster game – and the players’ conditioning and training week has to be around that.
“It’s not something you can coach, power, but you can coach the players to be technically better.
“It’s not about power with me, you’ve got to find a way with that you’ve got.”
Sherratt will now head back to Cardiff, but he did mention that he’ll reflect on his time in the Welsh set-up and looked ahead to the immediate future of the game.
“It’s important I don’t take today as my lasting memory, I’ve really enjoyed the four weeks,” he said.
“They are a good group of lads, there have been some improvements.
“It is difficult to say that today after that loss, but I’ve probably got to reflect on the last four weeks in general.
“I’ll give honest feedback on whatever is best for this playing group.”
Sherratt declined to get bogged down in a discussion about the overall state of the Welsh game.
He added: “I’m not going to get drawn into the state of Welsh rugby, we know where we are, I think.
“It’s about moving forward in the next couple of weeks.
“It’s always easy to look at the top of the pyramid, the national team and the regions, but any good team starts with the grassroots and the foundations of the academy.
“The U-20s had a good win yesterday, I think there’s some green-shoots, but I think we knew where we were before this campaign started and that’s not changed.
“It’s just about getting the next couple of appointments right and trying to build a base for the game.
“There’s going to be a new director of rugby, a new head coach, and I think the next camp has to feel fresh for the players.”