Welsh rugby: Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt expects player movement for next season

Cardiff players Rhys Carre and Tomos Williams both played for Wales during the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt accepts there will be player movement at the end of the season.

Cardiff scrum-half Tomos Williams and prop Rhys Carre have been linked with moves to Gloucester and Saracens respectively for the 2024-25 season.

New Wales props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti have also attracted interest from English sides.

"I've heard the jungle drums, but this time of year is when they start at every club," said Sherratt.

"When some of your best players out of contract are going to pick up interest from other clubs."

Those playing outside Wales are now required to have 25 caps to represent their country after the number was dropped from 60 in February 2023.

Under this rule Williams would be still be available for Wales, but the likes of Carre, Domachowski, and Assiratti have not reached the 25-cap threshold and would become ineligible for international rugby if they moved outside of Wales.

Sherratt believes the lure of representing their country still exists for players.

"A lot of the boys underneath it all are loyal to the country and their regions and are proud of the clubs they play for," said Sherratt.

"The lure of the Welsh camp is still massive and helps keep players in Wales. I find that lure more so in Wales than I did in England because it's smaller and less clubs.

"It is easier to play for Wales if you stay in Wales, there are some down sides of going over the bridge.

"But ultimately it's a business as well, a short career and they have to maximise their potential while they are still in the game."

Those sentiments about playing for Wales have been echoed by Cardiff wing Josh Adams who has won 54 international caps for his country.

"I think it is still there from speaking to the younger boys here," said Adams.

"I think the want to represent Wales is as strong as it's been, I can't see that changing.

"The Welsh boys playing here from the regions, growing up through the academy, playing for Wales I'm sure they'll say is everything for them, whether you get one cap or 100 caps, it's an incredible achievement.

"We've got a fantastic crop of youngsters here. From Cardiff's perspective, we've got up to 15 quality youngsters who are probably 23 and under.

"They'll be vital going forward because they're showing great glimpses now. Keeping hold of them and getting them to represent this club in the right way will be really important."

Ospreys boss Booth wants more certainty

Financial budgets for the 2023-24 season for the four Welsh professional sides have been cut to £5.2m with a further reduction to £4.5m for the 2024-25 campaign, although there is room for a couple of marquee signings.

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth admits sides not knowing what the salary cap will be after that is affecting trying to tie up long-term deals with a lack of clarity from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the nation's Professional Rugby Board (PRB).

"We have a pretty good idea of what we want to keep," said Booth.

"There are players who have delivered and performed and you want to reward that as early as you can and that is always our intention.

"The logistical part of it is difficult because you are trying to negotiate longer-term deals when you only have financial certainty for one year.

"I don't mean that in relation to us not being financially stable because we are, but we don't know what the wage cap is the following year.

"Nobody has given us that guidance so we can't commit really until we get a clearer understanding of what it is going to look like.

"So we can get all the deals done in relation to what we want to look like for the term, but to actually get the pen to paper we need some certainty from elsewhere (PRB and WRU).

"We all want to get going, we just want to make sure we can get through the red tape in order for us to do that. When you get these things agreed you want to get them done."

Ospreys and Wales prop Nicky Smith has been linked with a move to England with former Bath, London Irish and Harlequins coach Booth recognising the threat from across the Severn Bridge.

"That is always there and we have to understand the backdrop," said Booth.

"Their circle is probably two years in front of ours because they had that reset from a wage cap point of view and they are on the way back up with marquee players being signed.

"They are also mindful they only have a number of teams now and there has been the unfortunate demise of teams like my old side London Irish, so there are not as many choices either.

"I think the biggest threat is from abroad."