Ben Thomas has pinpointed Matt Sherratt as the spark that has re-ignited the Wales team as well as rekindling the Cardiff player’s own form.
During the opening two rounds of the Six Nations, Thomas was deployed at fly-half under Warren Gatland and struggled to find fluency in Wales’ attacking play.
Despite regularly operating as an inside centre for Cardiff, the transition to the No.10 jersey failed to yield results, leaving Thomas looking uncomfortable in Wales’ offensive structure.
However, since Sherratt stepped in as interim head coach, the Cardiff playmaker has thrived in his natural role.
The shift was evident in Wales' spirited 27-18 loss to Ireland, where Thomas put in a far more effective display.
With just three training sessions under Sherratt, Wales’ whole attack appeared far more dynamic, carving out more opportunities than in the matches against France and Italy combined.
"He has been huge," said Thomas of Sherratt.
"When he came into Cardiff the second time, he had obviously gone away and worked at different clubs.
“When I first met Jockey, he was pretty clear on the fact he likes playing with a ball-playing 12, so the fact he had done that at other clubs was really useful.
“He was able to really help me develop my game in ways I hadn't thought of at that time.
"He is a bit of a joker at times. To be fair to him, he gets the balance pretty spot-on of when to switch on to rugby mode and when to have a laugh and a joke.
"He's been brilliant. He has got a brilliant rugby brain, which is clear for everyone to see by the way he coaches Cardiff.
READ MORE: Matt Sherratt Insists He Won’t Be Applying For Wales Job Long Term
“The challenge would have been trying to get that across in such a small space of time, but the way he delivers messages is pretty clear, and the boys were able to pick up quite well."
Thomas feels far more at home playing at inside centre compared to outside-half, given his familiarity with the position and the attacking patterns Wales have implemented under Sherratt.
"It (12) is probably a position I am more comfortable in, especially given that we played a similar style of game-plan to we play at Cardiff, it was pretty simple for me to fall back into," he said.
"I think he (Sherratt) was pretty clear in terms of the messages he got across and how he wanted us to play.
"Of course we are going to struggle picking up so much detail in such a short space of time, but I think the overriding theme was to go out and just show a bit of ambition among the squad.
“When you are given that licence to play and almost no pressure from him, it freed us up to play nicely."
Despite suffering three consecutive defeats in the tournament, Wales can approach their clash with Scotland at Murrayfield with renewed optimism.
Thomas reckons further progress can be made thanks to the bond between a host of current and former Arms Park players and the stand-in coach.
"Chicken (Gareth Anscombe), Max (Llewellyn), Tomos (Williams), Jarrod (Evans) have all been coached by Jockey, so that probably helped a bit," he said. "It is a style of play we are all used to playing, too.
READ MORE: Chilled Ben Thomas Ready To Warm Up Wales
"In terms of the team getting on the same page that was probably a bigger challenge, but I think as a back-line we are pretty comfortable with each other and comfortable with our style of play, and I think it brings out each of our strengths.
"We were happy after the game with how well we performed, given the circumstances. But having had a chance to look back on it, there is still a lot we can improve on.
"There were probably a lot of chances we left out there. When all the boys get back together next Monday, we will have a few good days working together and we should be able to make a few more fix-ups in time for the Scotland game."
Since taking charge in the wake of Gatland’s departure following 14 consecutive Test defeats, Sherratt has brought fresh energy and direction to the squad.
Wales' performance against Ireland suggested a team with a new found sense of freedom and intent.
"We wanted to bring some positivity back," Thomas said. "Ultimately, there is a lot that is out of your control in terms of getting results, so we had a big focus on playing a game of rugby and a brand of rugby that would get people excited, to almost fall back in love with Welsh rugby.
"And I suppose it doesn’t change next week. The process has to be the same. We will put our best game out on the field and hopefully the result goes our way.
"I wasn’t surprised with how he (Sherratt) took to it because he has got a brilliant rugby brain. That is clear for everyone to see by the way he coaches Cardiff.
"The challenge would have been trying to get things across in such a small period of time, but the way he delivers messages is pretty clear and the boys were able to pick things up quite well."
READ MORE: Ben Thomas Admits Staying On The Right Side Of Gethin Jenkins Has Upped His Game
Wales will head to Murrayfield with a solid track record, having won six of their last eight Six Nations encounters in Edinburgh.
Sherratt is expected to maintain continuity in selection, with the potential inclusion of fit-again Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake adding depth to the squad.
"The mood has been pretty positive. It is an exciting way to play rugby to go out there and just try and throw as many punches as possible," Thomas added.
"We probably came off the pitch after the first two matches (against France and Italy) feeling we hadn’t fired any shots at the opposition.
"The Rome game was in pretty poor conditions and it wasn’t maybe the game for that.
"But to come off against Ireland, knowing that we had been in the game for the most part – and were able to put our game on the pitch, as opposed to just absorbing what was being thrown at us – was pretty pleasing for us."
