Matt Sherratt ‘doubles down on the basics' in bid to end Wales' losing streak
Wales are in Japan for a two-Test series against Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms and attempting to end a run of 17 successive Test defeats – a record for a Tier One nation.
Advertisement
Cardiff boss Sherratt has overseen the last three of those losses after replacing Warren Gatland during the Six Nations Championship in February.
Sherratt initiated improvement in losing narrowly to Ireland in his opening game, but Wales were well beaten in Scotland before producing a late fightback and then hammered 68-14 at home by England on one of Welsh rugby's darkest days.
'I learned a lot during the Six Nations,' Sherratt said ahead of Saturday's opener in Kitakyushu with Wales targeting a first Test win since beating Georgia at the last World Cup in October 2023.
'What we've really focused on for this tour is going back to basics.
Advertisement
'Over time the way I like to play is multiple passes and for my teams to be brave, but at the moment it's laying the foundations for Welsh rugby.
'So we've really doubled down on the basics and gone back to the foundations of the game – kicking, defence, contact area.
'We can build on that in time, but those basics are the platform for everything else and the foundation for any team.'
Skipper Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams were unavailable after being selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
There are only four survivors from the side humbled by England in March – number eight Taulupe Faletau, prop Nicky Smith, centre Ben Thomas and full-back Blair Murray.
Back-rower Taulupe Faletau wins cap number 109 against Japan and is by far Wales' most experienced player (David Davies/PA)
Faletau makes his 109th appearance and winger Josh Adams (61), Smith (54) and scrum-half Kieran Hardy (23) are the only others with more than 20 caps in the starting line-up.
Advertisement
Asked what winning would mean for Wales, Sherratt said: 'It's massive. I spoke to the players before we came away and wondered what their motivation was, and why they were coming here.
'The short answer was that they want to win for Wales.
'For the future this tour is probably the end of something. Let's hope it's the also start of something and they start on a level playing field (under the new head coach).'
Japan head coach Eddie Jones refused to budge from an afternoon kick-off in Kitakyushu in the hottest part of the day (David Davies/PA)
Jones has been his usual bullish self ahead of the series, which concludes in Kobe next week, saying he is hoping for a 'nice hot day and we can really run Wales off their feet'.
The former Australia and England boss refused to budge from the 2pm local kick-off time when the temperature is expected to be above 30 degrees Celsius with high humidity.
Advertisement
Sherratt said: 'Both countries are in a very similar situation as lots of experience has come to an end at the same time.
'The key to the win will be who controls the key moments.
'With the wet ball (due to the humidity) field position will be very important and, with that, who takes the chances.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Phillies' defensive star announces retirement after a decade in MLB
Two separate stints in Philadelphia earned Freddy Galvis recognition as a stellar shortstop defender. And with plenty of MLB action in between, he was a steady veteran for a long time. On Friday, Galvis announced his retirement in an Instagram post. Advertisement He came to the Philadelphia organization in 2006 as an international signee out of Venezuela. He climbed the ladder to make his MLB debut in 2012 at the age of 22. He would play seven seasons total for the Phillies, and he'd also spend time with the Reds, Padres, Blue Jays and Orioles. MORE: 3 Cubs have had 3-HR games vs. Cardinals, and all 3 were on 4th of July Galvis wasn't always a great hitter, although he had a 20 homer season in 2016 for the Phillies and a 23 homer season for the Blue Jays/Reds in 2019. His glove was what allowed him to stick around. He had positives in Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average for his career, and he was a Gold Glove finalist three consecutive years from 2016-2018. Advertisement Galvis left MLB following the 2021 season to play in Japan, then in Mexico, and then in the Venezuelan Winter League. And now, his cleats and that wonderful glove have been hung up for good. MORE MLB NEWS:
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
EAFF E-1 Men: South Korea vs. China Preview
South Korea's men's team will kick off their EAFF E-1 Championship campaign against China at Yongin Mireu Stadium on Monday 7th July, looking to start strongly and regain the title they lost in 2022. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images) Advertisement Overview & Match Information Fixture: South Korea vs. China Competition: EAFF E-1 Football Championship Venue: Yongin Mireu Stadium, Yongin Date: Monday 7th July 2025, 8:00 PM KST The 2025 EAFF E-1 Championship will get underway on Monday 7th July, with host nation South Korea taking on China. South Korea's men's side are the most successful team in the competition's history with five titles overall, but last won the competition in 2019. China, meanwhile, have won the competition twice - 2005 and 2010 - and will be looking to put their World Cup qualification failures behind them and enjoy a successful EAFF. Advertisement Recent Form South Korea's recent form, albeit including many of their stars based outside of Asia, is decent. Three straight 1-1 draws (Palestine, Oman, Jordan) towards the end of World Cup qualification had begun to cause anxiety among the fan base, with the opportunity missed to grab an early pass to the group stage with wins on home soil. However, back-to-back wins with clean sheets sealed qualification and allowed Hong Myung-bo and his men to end on a high. The 2-0 away win over Iraq to seal qualification was then followed up by a 4-0 home win over Kuwait in what became more of a celebration and a chance for rotation. As for China, four straight losses (Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Indonesia) were followed up with a 1-0 home win over Bahrain. China managed just two goals from their last five matches and conceded seven. Advertisement Head-to-Head The most recent meetings between the two countries were in World Cup qualification, with South Korea winning both Group C matches, 3-0 in China in November 2023 and 1-0 at home in November 2024. Before that, it was the 2022 EAFF, with the Taeguk Warriors running out 3-0 winners. China's last win over South Korea was in March 2017 in qualification for the 2018 World Cup, winning 1-0. Overall, there have been 37 previous encounters with South Korea winning 23, China just two, with 12 draws. In the EAFF, from 14 meetings, South Korea has nine wins, one for China, and four draws. The Opposition (Photo by) What's the manager situation at the moment? According to the official announcement from CFA, Dejan Đurđević is only the caretaker coach and is only responsible for the EAFF E-1. CFA has started a new stage of coaching selection, and the target is likely to be a young European coach. However, if there is no suitable candidate, it is not ruled out that Dejan Đurđević will be officially appointed as the head coach. The 58-year-old Serbian coach has coached the China U23, U20, and U19 national teams, participated in the U20 Asian Cup 2025 and Asian Games 2023, and may use more young Chinese players that he is familiar with. Advertisement What are China's expectations for this tournament? Could this be a way to make up for a disappointing World Cup qualification campaign? Judging from recent media reports, Chinese fans and media do not have high expectations for the China national team's performance in E-1. Of course, defeating Hong Kong may be the only requirement, and as for the games against Japan and South Korea, it will be fine as long as they don't lose too badly. Who are the team's key players in this tournament? Among the 26 players on the China national team, the most noteworthy player is of course Wang Yudong. The 18-year-old Zhejiang FC striker has performed exceptionally well this season and is widely regarded as China's best striker after Wu Lei. Advertisement What will be the game plan against South Korea? I believe that China should first focus on defense and use the tactics of defensive counterattack to see if they can break through South Korea's goal. If they can get a draw in the host's stadium, it will be a victory. -Hot Pot Football's Paul Huang China Squad Who to Watch Players in the Taeguk Warriors' problem areas, or areas on the pitch that aren't nailed down by some of the Europe-based stars, may be seen as up for grabs for the World Cup next summer. Who starts at full back and can impress will be something to keep tabs on, with Seol Young-woo perhaps the only nailed-on starter for the World Tae-seok will be looking to stake a claim for left back, while question marks of Park Yong-woo's place in the team mean that a more mobile alternative with better passing range may lead to his exclusion, namely Park Jin-seop and Kim Bong-soo. And of course, a number 9 type with Cho Gue-sung's fitness an issue, so Lee Ho-jae could be a late entrant to secure a place on the plane next summer. Advertisement South Korea 3-1 China South Korea should win this one fairly comfortably. They will want to start strong in front of their own fans, and it may also come down to goal difference with fellow tournament favourites Japan, so a strong showing up front will be key. South Korea Squad Goalkeepers Jo Hyeon-woo, Ulsan HD (42 caps) Lee Chang-geun, Daejeon Hana Citizen (2 caps) Kim Dong-heon, Incheon United (0 caps) Defenders Kim Moon-hwan, Daejeon Hana Citizen (28 caps) Lee Tae-seok, Pohang Steelers (5 caps) Kim Ju-sung, FC Seoul (3 caps) Park Seung-wook, Pohang Steelers (3 caps) Byeon Jun-soo, Gwangju FC (0 caps, first call-up) Cho Hyun-taek, Ulsan HD (0 caps) Kim Tae-hyeon, Kashima Antlers (Japan) (0 caps, first call-up) Kim Tae-hyun, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (0 caps, first call-up) Seo Myung-gwan, Ulsan HD (0 caps, first call-up) Advertisement Midfielders Na Sang-ho, Machida Zelvia (Japan) (28 caps, 2 goals) Moon Seon-min, FC Seoul (18 caps, 2 goals) Lee Dong-gyeong, Gimcheon Sangmu (10 caps, 1 goal) Kim Jin-gyu, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (9 caps, 3 goals) Park Jin-seop, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (6 caps, 1 goal) Jeon Jin-woo, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2 caps) Kang Sang-yoon, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (0 caps, first call-up) Kim Bong-soo, Daejeon Hana Citizen (0 caps) Lee Seung-won, Gimcheon Sangmu (0 caps, first call-up) Mo Jae-hyeon, Gangwon FC (0 caps, first call-up) Seo Min-woo, Gangwon FC (0 caps, first call-up) Strikers Joo Min-kyu, Daejeon Hana Citizen (9 caps, 2 goals) Oh Se-hun, Machida Zelvia (Japan) (9 caps, 2 goals) Lee Ho-jae, Pohang Steelers (0 caps, first call-up)
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Japan v Wales preview, teams and how to follow
Summer tour first Test: Japan v Wales Venue: Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu Date: Saturday, 5 July Kick-off: 06:00 BST Coverage: 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. Advertisement Japan will host Wales in a two-match series that starts in Kitakyushu on Saturday and will finish in Kobe seven days later. Interim head coach Matt Sherratt is in caretaker charge again having taken over from Warren Gatland during the Six Nations Championship in February with the Welsh Rugby Union's hunt for a permanent successor ongoing. Wales are seeking to end a record run of 17 consecutive Test defeats that stretches back to October 2023. Japan are coached by Eddie Jones who is starting the second year of his second stint with the Brave Blossoms. They have won four games and lost eight since Jones came back, and were beaten by 40 points or more by New Zealand, France and England in 2024. Advertisement Jones, though, was the coach when Japan secured their only victory in 14 attempts against Wales in 2013. Where is the match being played? The first match is being played at Mikuni World Stadium which opened in 2017 and is normally home to third division football side Giravanz Kitakyushu. 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 ago, the Mikuni World Stadium venue was where more than 15,000 locals packed into so they could watch Wales train, with the adopted home fans producing a rousing rendition of the Welsh national anthem. Advertisement This time Wales will play its first Test match at the venue that will host only its second international after Japan entertained Uruguay in 2022. How can I follow the game on BBC Sport? You cam watch the game live live on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer or listen live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sounds with kick-off at 06:00 BST. You can follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, with build-up starting from 05:30 BST. There will also be post-match reaction and analysis online and via BBC Radio Wales and the Scrum V podcast. How hot and humid will it be? Wales and Japan will be given water breaks and an extended half-time period to help the two sides deal with the heat and humidity in Kitakyushu on Saturday. Advertisement The match is being played at 14:00 local time with temperatures expected to reach 33C, while there will also be a high level of humidity. There will be a three-minute break midway through each half, while half-time will be extended to 20 minutes from the original 15 minutes. The measures are being taken under World Rugby's updated heat and air quality guidelines, which set out the measures to be taken to support players performing in hot conditions. The half-time extension is the second most severe reading with the next step being to consider "delaying or suspending the game". Japan and Wales team news Sherratt has made 11 changes from the side humbled 68-14 by England in the Six Nations in March. Advertisement Number eight Taulupe Faletau, prop Nicky Smith, centre Ben Thomas and full-back Blair Murray are the survivors from that record Cardiff defeat. Flankers Josh Macleod and Alex Mann are handed recalls, while centre Johnny Williams also returns. Scarlets captain Macleod makes his first Wales appearance since November 2022, while Williams' previous involvement came in September 2023. Kieran Hardy and Sam Costelow form a new half-back partnership, while Dragons lock Ben Carter returns after missing the Six Nations because of injury. Uncapped Cardiff captain Liam Belcher could make his international debut from the replacements bench if he comes on for hooker Dewi Lake, who skippers the side. Advertisement Belcher is one of six Wales forwards on the bench including Tommy Reffell and Aron Wainwright. Jones has named an inexperienced Japan team featuring two uncapped players in the starting line-up and another six on the bench. Among Japan's new caps will be the diminutive wing Kippei Ishida, who Jones said "can be a Japanese version" of South Africa World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe, while prop Yota Kamimori also starts for the first time. Veteran flanker Michael Leitch will captain the team in his 88th cap, with Japan regulars Warner Dearns, Dylan Riley and Seungsin Lee also in the starting side. Advertisement Line-ups Japan: Takuro Matsunaga; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Malo Tuitama; Seungsin Lee, Shinobu Fujiwara; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (capt), Jack Cornelsen, Amato Fakatava. Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Keijiro Tamefusa, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shuntaro Kitamura, Ichigo Nakakusu, Halatoa Vailea. Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau. Advertisement Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Joe Roberts. Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina) Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England) & Luke Pearce (England) Television match official (TMO): Ian Tempest (England).
