Matt Sherratt has made no bones about what the Wales summer tour to Japan is all about – trying to win a game of rugby.
Forget development, forget style, forget team-building or progression from the Six Nations.
The interim head coach just wants to win at least one of the two Tests scheduled, so that his permanent successor does not have the 17-match loser’s millstone heavy around their neck on their first day in the job.
Sherratt, who took over on a temporary basis following Warren Gatland’s resignation in February , is set to reprise his role for the two-Test series in July.
The matches, against Eddie Jones’ Japan side in Kitakyushu on July 5 and in Kobe a week later, are being viewed as a vital opportunity to re-establish confidence and direction in Welsh rugby.
Wales have not won a Test since defeating Georgia in October 2023.
Since then, they’ve endured 17 straight defeats, culminating in a record 68-14 home loss to England in March—Wales’ heaviest Six Nations defeat.
That result also saw the team slump to 12th in the world rankings, their lowest-ever position.
It’s another measure of Wales’ fall that two matches against Japan are considered so balanced – in terms of outcome – that almost all the big guns have to be fired.
READ MORE: They Mystery Of Missing Ellis Mee . . . Scarlets Wing Overlooked For Wales Tour To Japan
Sherratt is focusing on short-term goals with a long-term view for whoever inherits the permanent head coach role.
“Probably big picture-wise, if I am honest, the development angle should be left to the next guy coming in, in terms of some younger boys he wants to look at,” said Sherratt.
“A big part of doing it when I was asked a couple of weeks ago was laying a foundation for the next guy coming in. I don’t think it is our job as coaches to look at the big picture.
“It is just about getting some familiarity there, and with the world rankings and Japan being one place behind, it is about going there and trying to get a result.
“I would love for the next guy to look at the team and think there is something to build on and not have that losing record around their neck.”
Sherratt has named a 33-man squad for the tour, opting for a mix of experienced campaigners and new faces.
Dewi Lake of the Ospreys will captain the side, while six uncapped players—Keelan Giles, Macs Page, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Liam Belcher, Chris Coleman, and Garyn Phillips—have been given the chance to impress.
READ MORE: Time For The Ospreys And Scarlets To Take Another Rebel Army To England
Injury has ruled out several senior players, including Exeter skipper Dafydd Jenkins and Gloucester’s Max Llewellyn.
Meanwhile, Adam Beard and Will Rowlands have been rested, and there is no room for Gareth Anscombe, Nick Tompkins, or James Botham.
“Being a Lions year, with two players away and a couple of other experienced players unavailable, it was important to get some experience in the squad,” said Sherratt.
Supporting Sherratt will be a restructured coaching team comprised of familiar faces on a short-term basis.
Danny Wilson (Harlequins), Adam Jones (scrum coach), TR Thomas (Gloucester), and Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff) join on secondments.
The goal is to create a cohesive support unit that can help stabilise the squad ahead of a pivotal tour.
“The WRU (Welsh Rugby Union) were pretty clear they wanted to take an interim staff. I think it was important, with the limited time, that we had worked together before,” explained Sherratt.
“I’ve worked with Danny at Cardiff, I work with Gethin now, Gethin and TR have worked together, Adam Jones has played with them. It is a familiar staff, and having staff harmony rubs off on the players.”
READ MORE: Ospreys And Scarlets Accuse WRU Of Going Back On Promises To Fans After Massive U-Turn
The preparations for Japan come at a time of deep unrest in the Welsh domestic game.
The WRU has served notice to terminate the current Professional Rugby Agreement, with the intention of shifting to a two-tier funding model.
While the union hasn’t officially confirmed it plans to reduce the number of professional teams from four to three, its decision to issue a two-year exit notice to Ospreys and Scarlets has fueled widespread concern.
The dispute has created a tense atmosphere between the WRU and two of its top clubs, with the Ospreys and Scarlets warning that the changes could unfairly advantage WRU-owned team, Cardiff.
But Sherratt insists that for now, the focus within the national setup remains firmly on rugby.
“I’ve been in this job long enough, I just concentrate on the rugby,” he said.
“I love coaching, that’s my motivation.
“I’ll let other people who are way above my pay grade worry about the future of the regions and the national game.
“It’s probably bigger news outside of an environment than it is inside. I’m sure in the background, after the tour, that may be an issue.
“As soon as you come into an international camp, you are a bit cocooned. The players are busy focusing on playing and training, so all the big-picture stuff seems to go away.”
“Speaking to the players, there’s a real desire to go to Japan and prove a point. We’ll do our best to go there and hopefully take that losing record away as well.”
