Wales name team to face Japan as two big stars left on bench

Wales Online

4 days ago

Matt Sherratt has named his Wales team to face Japan this Saturday, with back-rows Alex Mann and Josh Macleod starting ahead of Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell in Kitakyushu.
Wainwright and Reffell boast 84 caps between them, but interim head coach Sherratt has held them back on the bench as he opts for a 6-2 split to cope with the heat and humidity in Japan. Instead, Cardiff blindside Mann and Scarlets openside Macleod - who have seven caps between them - will pack down with Taulupe Faletau in the Welsh back-row.
In terms of new caps, there's just one potential debut - with Cardiff captain Liam Belcher in line for a first cap off the bench. Alongside Mann and Macleod, a number of players are handed recalls - with Johnny Williams, Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy and Ben Carter having all not featured in this year's Six Nations.
Only fly-half Costelow has played for Wales this season, having last featured in the autumn internationals. Scrum-half Hardy and second-row Carter were both involved on last year's summer tour, while blindside flanker Mann's last cap came in his maiden Six Nations campaign last season.
Centre Williams last featured in a Test against Portugal in the World Cup pool stage back in 2023, prior to the current 17-Test losing run. As for openside Macleod, the last of the Scarlets captain's two caps came in the autumn of 2022. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
However, after a strong season in Llanelli, he's backed to start against the Brave Blossoms ahead of Leicester flanker Reffell, with Taulupe Faletau completing the back-row with Macleod and Mann.
'Something we made a big point of in the first team meeting," said Sherratt about including the likes of Macleod and Belcher. "There's a number of players who've worked their way back into the squad.
'Josh Macleod is an obvious one. He's struggled with some injuries, had a real rollercoaster over the last three or four years, so him coming back in is massive.
'I think you could tell from the players' reaction when Liam Belcher was selected how much he deserves it.
'He's been in the regional game for 10 years. He's changed clubs. He's gone back to university to do an electrician's degree and then he's managed to work his way into the national squad. So delighted for Liam.'
Despite the sense that Wales are near full-strength - with just two Welshmen initially named in Andy Farrell's Lions squad - Sherratt has made 11 changes to the side that lost heavily to England at the end of the Six Nations.
Only loosehead Nicky Smith, No. 8 Faletau, centre Ben Thomas and full-back Blair Murray remain as starters.
Cardiff's player of the season Teddy Williams partners Carter in the second-row, with Smith and Keiron Assiratti either side of captain Dewi Lake in the front-row.
Hardy, who partners his former Scarlets team-mate Costelow in the half-backs, starts for Wales for the first time in two years.
In midfield, Thomas partners Williams - becoming the eighth different centre partnership by Wales in the 17 Tests since the World Cup. This also marks the first time Williams starts at outside centre for Wales - with all seven of his caps having previously been in the 12 jersey.
In the back-three, Tom Rogers and Josh Adams start either side of Murray.
On the bench, there's recalls for Archie Griffin and James Ratti, with Sherratt relying on the experience of Reffell, Gareth Thomas, Aaron Wainwright and Rhodri Williams to make an impact in the second-half.
Scarlets centre Joe Roberts provides the outside backs cover on the replacements' pine.
"We've had a very good build-up. We tried to give everyone a fair chance of selection," added Sherratt. 'One of the key messages was it's going to be a 23-man job. So, we've tried to spread the experience out in terms of getting some experience coming off the bench.
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'I think an 80-minute performance, that physical edge and making sure that we transfer training into the game is going to be the biggest thing for us.
'It's going to be humid. It's going to be hot. Japan traditionally play quite a fast brand of rugby, so us getting up to speed with that is going to be key.
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'We've seen from just being around Kitakyushu this last week, there seems to be a real affinity between some of the Japanese locals and the Welsh team. Hopefully it will be fantastic on Saturday.'
Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, ⁠Joe Roberts.