Wales aim to lift nation with elusive win in Japan

BBC News

2 days ago

Summer tour first Test: Japan v WalesVenue: Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu Date: Saturday, 5 July Kick-off: 06:00 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer; listen live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sounds; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app.
It is not so much a nation expects. It is more something the Welsh rugby nation is desperate for.An international win. Any win will do. Wales will hope it finally comes against Japan in Kitakysuhu on Saturday before a second Test in Kobe seven days later.It could help lift some doom and gloom. Welsh rugby is in the doldrums with the men's side enduring a record international 17-match losing run and currently having no permanent head coach.Only two players were selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia with flanker Jac Morgan since left flying the flag alone for Wales, following an injury to scrum-half Tomos Williams.The long-term future of the domestic game is uncertain with fears the number professional sides could be cut. Mostly radio silence from the Wales Rugby Union (WRU) and regions in recent weeks has not helped allay the anxiety of players and fans. So Welsh rugby needs something to grasp onto. Halting the losing streak might help start that healing process.
Breaking the streak
Saturday will represent 637 days since the national men's side experienced the feeling of a Test match win when they defeated Georgia in the World Cup in Nantes in October 2023.That record run of defeats has followed with head coach Warren Gatland departing in the middle of the Six Nations in February.Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt took over in an interim role for the rest of the tournament which finished with a record 68-14 defeat by England in Cardiff. With Gatland's successor yet to be appointed, Sherratt has again accepted the caretaker role for this tour with a new-look coaching staff that includes Danny Wilson, Gethin Jenkins and Leigh Halfpenny.The old goals have not changed with a first Test victory in 21 months the only outcome desired."It's massive," said Sherratt."I spoke to the players before we came away, I wondered what their motivation was and why they were coming here. The short answer was they want to win for Wales."Wing Josh Adams, who has experienced Grand Slam and Six Nations success and reached a World Cup semi-final, says it hurt when some of his younger team-mates mentioned they had not experienced any Wales wins.Number eight Aaron Wainwright, the current Welsh player of the year, has won one game for club and country this season with 19 defeats. Tour captain Dewi Lake has led Wales in six of the 17 Test defeats when his inspirational individual displays have deserved more.Lake knows what is at stake over the next week."We understand the importance of a win," said Lake. "It's a huge game for us, to hopefully not only kickstart our Japan tour, but also the new season."We've had that monkey on our back for a long time, trying to get that win. "All the boys here are going to try do it for each other and our families back home who support us through everything. So it'd be massive to get that elusive win."
Rapid decline
Wales have dropped to an all-time low of 12th in the world rankings with their hosts only one place below them.Defeat in Kitakysuhu would see Wales tumble to 14th, below Japan and Samoa, something which could prove costly in their bid to stay in the top 12 before the 2027 World Cup draw later this year.The damning statistics shows how far Wales have fallen in such a short space of time. Especially when you consider the previous occasion Wales travelled to Japan for the 2019 World Cup, that Gatland side had just briefly topped the world rankings for the first time and were the reigning Six Nations and Grand Slam champions.Japan coach Eddie Jones outlined why he believes the opposing nations are in similar situation, a synopsis which Sherratt agreed with.While Sherratt says he will return to his Cardiff day job after the tour, Jones' future is under scrutiny after an underwhelming first year of his second stint in charge following his controversial return to the Brave Blossoms.Jones was accused of touting for the Japan job while he was overseeing a 2023 World Cup failed campaign with Australia as the Wallabies were knocked out of the group stages for the first time.His last experience of coaching against Wales in an international environment was the 40-6 record drubbing Australia suffered in Lyon in that World Cup two years ago. But Jones also remains the only Japan boss to beat Wales when the hosts won 23-8 in 2013. In their warm-up game last weekend before hosting Wales, Japan lost 53-20 to Maori All Blacks.What sort of Jones' side shows up this weekend remains to be seen.
Home from home
Wales find themselves in a home from home environment as they aim for away success. Kitakysuhu was the city that took Gatland's side to its hearts in 2019 when Wales chose it as its World Cup training base. Six years on, the love affair continues.In 2019, the picturesque Mikuni World Stadium, with the mountain range behind it, was where more than 15,000 locals packed into so they could watch Wales train. The adopted home fans produced a rousing rendition of the Welsh national anthem that stunned the squad.This time Wales will play a first Test match against in Japan in the city that will host only its second international after Japan entertained Uruguay in 2022.Some local media have suggested there might be more home fans supporting Wales.Jones, whose squad have been preparing in Miyazaki, south of Kitakyushu, stated he was not concerned about any possible conflict of loyalties, claiming it might even galvanise the Japan players.
Hospitality, heat and humidity
With the hospitality, comes the heat and humidity with a mid-afternoon kick-off ensuring the game will be played in stifling conditions.Jones proclaimed whoever deals with those issues will win the game and has promised to try and "run Wales off their feet".Temperatures will reach more than 30C and is coupled with high humidity.Wales prepared in the heat chamber, or self-styled "hell room" at their Vale of Glamorgan base before spending a week in Japan before the first Test.A slippery ball will present its own challenges with Wales training with balls doused in soapy water."It's probably going to be a game on television where the conditions look perfect, but the ball's going to be greasy and will test your skills," said Sherratt.The coach says he will not use the conditions as an excuse."I know there's been a lot of chat about it, but it's part of the challenge of coming to a different country," said Sherratt."We went to Samoa in 2017 and while the conditions weren't as hot as here, it was similar. "They're not going to change the conditions and part of coming here is accepting them. They're the same for both teams, so I'm not hugely worried about it."World Rugby have produced a new set of heat regulations and some criteria will be implemented on match day. That will include three-minute water breaks after 20 and 60 minutes and an extended half-time period of 20 minutes rather than the usual 15."We'll just plan for both," said Sherratt."It's there for safety reasons. If the heat is that extreme, giving them a chance to have a break and lower their body temperatures, will be as important for both teams."
The conditions will act as a good leveller and both teams need a win for contrasting reasons.Wales will hope their heart and soul might just shine through in the searing Japanese afternoon sunshine.It shows where Welsh rugby currently finds itself that beating Japan in any way possible will be greeted with relief, maybe even a hint of elation.But given the disarray of the past 21 months, any win will do.