Matt Sherratt has huge Japan calls to make as several Wales stars face defining tours
Matt Sherratt has huge Japan calls to make as several Wales stars face defining tours
Wales will face a tough challenge in Japan this summer
Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Matt Sherratt and his coaching team have already started to plan a way Wales can end a 17-game losing streak by beating Japan this summer.
The interim Wales head coach will be joined by Harlequins coach Danny Wilson (forwards), Gethin Jenkins (defence), Adam Jones (scrum) and T. Rhys Thomas (skills) in Japan. In normal circumstances Wales would look to use a trip which coincides with a British & Irish Lions tour to blood players, but these are strange times.
Wales only have two players on the Lions tour - Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams - while Sherratt is merely keeping the seat warm before the Welsh Rugby Union find a long-term replacement for Warren Gatland.
But more importantly than that Japan (13th) are ranked just one place below Wales (12th) in the World Rugby rankings.
Defeat this summer would weaken Wales' Rugby World Cup seeding and potentially see them drop into a pool which contains a further three tier one nations.
There cannot be too much mixing and matching this summer because Wales really need to win this one. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
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So, what are the biggest conundrums facing Sherratt this summer and what could he do differently from the Six Nations?
During the Six Nations Sherratt was handed over a squad at a really low ebb midway through the Championship and it would have been extremely difficult to change too much.
Yes, there was a shift in terms of the way they moved the ball but this summer Sherratt and his coaching team will be able to get through far more detail in the lead-up to the tour.
This is now his squad and he will be able to stamp his own authority on the team.
Japan are not the same quality of team which toppled South Africa at the 2015 World Cup or reached the quarter-finals four years later by disposing of Ireland and Scotland, but they remain a dangerous outfit.
They are also coached by Eddie Jones and given Wales' recent struggles will fancy their chances of taking a tier-one scalp.
Sherratt and his players must be prepared for that, along with the searing heat they are likely to experience in Kitakyushu and Kobe.
But arguably the biggest challenge Sherratt will face is what style of rugby to adopt.
Traditionally Sherratt likes his team to play with speed and width, with players backed to play what is in front of them, which is in stark contrast to Gatland's risk-averse philosophy.
But if they go down that road they will need to be accurate and it is worth noting that Japan aren't the biggest of sides, so they will undoubtedly look to play with speed and tempo.
That is the style of rugby which took three significant scalps at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
Japan will want to draw Wales into a fast and loose game, hoping their skill levels and the potential heat can get them over the line.
Wales need to ensure the pack dominate physically and the set-piece functions well but they do have two outstanding coaches in Wilson, who will take charge of the forwards, and scrum guru Jones.
It will be interesting to see who Sherratt opts for at inside centre but in all likelihood it will be Ben Thomas who has served him well at Cardiff. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Thomas is a very talented footballer with a strong kicking game and is in the mould of a Southern Hemisphere second five-eight.
But in-form Scarlets centre Johnny Williams is the more powerful carrier and is capable of making significant post-contact metres.
Williams is a player Japan won't want to face because they will have difficulty containing his carrying game, and this is a big tour for the Scarlets man who fell out of favour with Gatland.
What also favours Williams is the fact his Scarlets midfield partner Joe Roberts is highly likely to start at 13 because cohesion is vital at Test level.
As always the breakdown will be key and Wales will want to slow down the speed of Japan's ruck ball with both Tommy Reffell and Scarlets captain Josh Macleod set to play important roles on this tour.
If Japan are forced to play on the backfoot then it will be very difficult for them to score points against Wales due to the lack of size and power in their side.
In terms of players it's a big tour for both Sam Costelow and Dan Edwards.
Costelow is now an experienced player and needs to bring his excellent Scarlets form onto the international arena by becoming a leader in the group.
Kieran Hardy is also playing the best rugby of his career for the Ospreys and it would be hugely beneficial for Wales if he was able to exert some serious pressure on Tomos Williams in the autumn.
Up-front, tighthead prop is a problem position in Wales therefore it is a huge positive to see Archie Griffin return. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
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But what is intriguing is the selection of Dragons prop Chris Coleman because Wales really needs to build some depth at tighthead.
But the biggest priority is winning both Tests because if Wales lose even one they will have hit a new low.
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