Smith focused on Glasgow but targets future international role

Franco Smith won nine caps for South Africa between 1996 and 1999

Glasgow coach Franco Smith says he would like to return to international rugby after being linked with the Wales national job.

Smith, 52, is seen as one of the front-runners for the role vacated by Warren Gatland, but has a further season on his Glasgow contract.

"I want to coach internationally again, but for now I'll focus on what needs to be done at Glasgow Warriors," said Smith after his team's 45-20 win over Dragons.

He has previous international experience with Italy and as an assistant for his native South Africa, while his playing career included a season at Newport.

"Most coaches in the world work to do that (get an international coaching job)," Smith 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."

Ireland's interim coach Simon Easterby, another potential target for the Welsh Rugby Union, was also at a Welsh ground in the international down-week as he saw Leinster's win at the Ospreys.

Other names being mentioned in the Wales reckoning include former Australia and Argentina coach Michael Cheika, who is set to leave Leicester after one season, and Scotland assistants Brad Mooar and Steve Tandy, who have both run Welsh professional clubs.

Despite Wales's 14th consecutive defeat leading to Gatland's departure, and a winless URC weekend for the four Welsh professional sides, Smith was keen not to share in the doom and gloom felt by many Welsh supporters.

"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 (in the top half of the URC) and some of the Dragons' actions were good quality.

"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's Italy did not win in the Six Nations for two seasons before he moved to a different role as high performance director, but he believes his time there sowed the seeds for their competitive revival.

"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," Smith added.

"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."

Smith's stock is currently high after steering Glasgow to a maiden triumph in the URC in 2024 and seeing them strongly placed behind Leinster in the current campaign.

"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 said.

"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."