Franco Smith open to Wales coaching role amid reports of WRU interest

Smith did not deny interest in succeeding Gatland and admitted that a return to the Test arena would be a "dream" having also coached Italy between 2019 and 2021.

Smith has been insistent that his focus remains with club side Glasgow Warriors for the time being but, equally, he states that there is a keen desire to work at the highest level of the game once again.

"I would like to coach international rugby again. I won't lie, I think most coaches dream of it," he said before Glasgow's clash with the Dragons.

"Obviously, I am still under contract with the Glasgow Warriors and you never know."

The Warriors would go on to claim a dominant 45-20 triumph over the Welsh region and after the win Smith once again addressed the links.

"Most coaches in the world work to do that (get an international coaching job)," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"I've been involved with Italy, had a stint with South Africa so I've had a taste of it.

"The experience with Italy was different to what it should be, but there was a good opportunity to change their progress as well."

Many claim that Welsh rugby is at its lowest ebb but Smith spoke positively about rugby in the country, suggesting that he would be up for the challenge.

"I watched the Ospreys play, there's good players there and they're a good quality side, Scarlets have been performing well, Cardiff are up there and some of the Dragons' actions were good quality," he said.

"There's work to be done but there's enough positives to be taken and I don't think all is lost for Wales, Gatland did a great job for many years."

Smith also believes that it is a project which shares some resemblance to his previous roles and particularly with what he did at Italy.

"Italy was in the same position as Wales when I took over at the back end of the 2019 World Cup, they had a big turnover of players and Zebre and Benetton weren't performing in the PRO14," he said.

"I was brave enough to pick the younger boys and get them going, and hopefully by 2031 they'll be the team with the most caps ever because I started them so young. It was a big challenge for me, I've learned from it and that's a skill I've developed."

According to reports, Smith, alongside interim Ireland head coach Simon Easterby, are high up on the Welsh Rugby Union's shortlist to take over from Gatland.

While the talented coach, who guided Glasgow to the United Rugby Championship title last year, was not issuing a come-and-get-me plea, he is certainly not as dismissive of Welsh rugby as others have been.

"The Wales job is not yet something I can talk about, but from a general point of view in my history as a coach I developed Benetton and helped them get to the Magners League as it was then, I developed the Cheetahs and helped them get to the PRO14," Smith added.

"It's the story of my coaching career, I always see the glass as half-full and not half-empty, and that's the approach Wales should follow.

"Warren Gatland did a great job and Wales has got so much passion for the game, so there's a lot of good ingredients in Welsh rugby to find their feet again."

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